Bahrain’s King’s Pardon: an act to hide the human rights violations

On Monday, April 8, 2024, Bahrain’s King issued a royal decree pardoning 1,584 prisoners  convicted of criminal and riot charges, making it the largest pardon since the  Arab Spring in 2011. This pardon was announced ahead of Eid al-Fitr,  a time when Muslims are encouraged to seek forgiveness and thus also a time when many[…]

Harvest of the Profiles in Persecution: Systematic Human Rights Violations in Bahrain

Since the beginning of the popular movement demanding reform and democracy in Bahrain in 2011, the government has suppressed all forms of peaceful movements by all means and without any restraint. Repression has become a prevailing approach in the country, and prisons have been filled with prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, and human rights activists.[…]

Saudi Arabia Appointed Chair of UN Women’s Rights Forum: Analyzing the Absurdity of the Decision

The UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) unanimously appointed Saudi Arabia to chair its 69th session in 2025. Abdulaziz Alwasil, the Saudi ambassador to the UN, was elected on March 27 to represent his country. Being chair of the CSW means that Saudi Arabia pivots the political, economic, civil, and social prerogatives of[…]

Profile in Persecution: Husain Ali Matar

Husain Ali Matar was an 18-year-old Bahraini citizen when he was arrested for the final time on 30 October 2022 without a warrant. He was previously arrested on 28 June 2020 when he was a 16-year-old minor student in his second year of middle school and was sentenced to three years in prison following an[…]

Oil Production in the GCC: Urgent Evaluation of Human Rights Concerns in the Region

Seventy-six million metric tons of oil reserves are located in the Arab Gulf, constituting around 66% of the global reserves. Oil represents a prominent source of income in the Middle East, proven by the increased production during the last decades. From 1980, oil production passed from 11 million barrels per day to 18 million. The[…]