UPDATED: Bahrain Sentences Nabeel Rajab to Additional 5-Year Prison Term in Blatant Violation of Free Expression

**Update: On 22 February 2018, the United States Department of State issued multiple calls on the Government of Bahrain to release imprisoned human rights defender Nabeel Rajab. The US Mission to the United Nations first published a statement to Twitter: “The United States is disappointed by Bahrain’s decision to sentence human rights activist NABEELRAJAB, and we reiterate[…]

ADHRB at Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Briefing: Bahrain Seven Years Later

Today, 16 February 2017, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) held a briefing with the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) of the United States (US) Congress. The briefing, entitled “Bahrain Seven Years Later, focused on the country’s deteriorating human rights situation on the seventh anniversary of the mass pro-democracy uprising in[…]

GCC Countries Enforce Legislation Criminalizing Online Expression

2 February 2018 –Kuwait recently sentenced online activist Abdullah al-Saleh to ten years in prison for Tweets “abusing Saudi Arabia” and insulting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. His sentence demonstrates how countries like Kuwait employ prison sentences as deterrents to free expression online, especially as the government imposes increasing restrictions on the freedom[…]

Bahrain Confirms Two-Year Sentence for Nabeel Rajab, Moves toward Conclusion of Separate Twitter Trial

16 January 2018 – Yesterday, the Bahraini Court of Cassation rejected human rights defender Nabeel Rajab’s appeal and confirmed his two-year prison sentence for discussing restrictions on free expression and the press in several television interviews. Yesterday also saw the latest hearing in a separate case against Rajab in which he faces prosecution over tweets[…]

Dispatch: The Holiday Season is no Time for Celebration in the Gulf

As the United States (US) Government prepares to turn in for the holiday season – with Congress set to go on recess by the end of next week – its counterparts in the Arab Gulf are readying for an entirely different tradition. Over the last several years, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states – and[…]