UAE and the impact of spyware on human rights defenders

Introduction In October of last year, NSO Group, a leading Israeli technology company, announced that it would be terminating its contract with the United Arab Emirates. This decision was taken after it was revealed in the UK High Court that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, was using the company’s Pegasus software[…]

Challenges of being Bidoon in Kuwait

Background Kuwait gained independence in 1961, ceasing to be a British protectorate anymore. Upon this development, one-third of the population was given nationality on the basis of being ‘founding fathers’ while another third were naturalized as citizens. The remaining people were designated as bidoon jinsiya which when translated from Arabic means ‘without nationality’. According to[…]

The Interparliamentary Union is granting a dictatorship an opportunity to whitewash its human rights violations.

The recent announcement of Bahrain as the host of the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), scheduled for March 2023, represents yet another exemplification of a grim geopolitical truth: the international community is content to excuse egregious behaviors and overlook the abuses of an authoritarian regime that continues to engage in a campaigns of[…]

Profile in Persecution: Husain Jaafar AbdulRedha Jaafar Mohamed

Husain Jaafar Mohamed was a 19-year-old Bahraini student when he was arrested in 2014, which prevented him from completing his studies. After being convicted in multiple cases, he is currently serving his prison sentence in Jau Prison, and has been denied contact with his family on multiple occasions. Husain was pursued by authorities for around[…]

Profile in Persecution: Sayed Husain Saeed AlKhabbaz

Sayed Husain Saeed AlKhabbaz was a 17-year-old student when Bahraini authorities warrantlessly arrested him while he was in his car with his friends. Since his arrest, Sayed Husain has suffered ill-treatment and political discrimination at the hands of the Bahraini prison authorities. He remains in Jau Prison, completing the last years of his sentence. On[…]