Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and the Struggle for Social Justice

On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and outspoken peaceful social justice activist. Sheikh al-Nimr was an influential cleric in the Eastern Province town of Awamiyah, where he advocated for political freedom, human rights, and an end to oppression for all Saudis. He rose to prominence in[…]

Unprotected by Law, Children Could Face Execution in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world that executes and sentences people to death for crimes they allegedly committed as minors. Most recently, of the 47 people executed on 2 January 2016, four were arrested for crimes they reputedly committed as children. In addition, at least three young men face imminent[…]

Saudi Arabia’s Suppression of Terror Stops at its Borders

On 15 July 2016, the Obama administration declassified and released 28 pages of a congressional inquiry into alleged Saudi government complicity in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Saudi officials responded stating that it was “one of the more peculiar ironies” that a nation that has done so much to combat[…]

Saudi Arabia & UAE Pledge Support to Anti-ISIS Fight while Fueling Extremism in Yemen

On 21 Thursday 2016, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Washington, DC in order to discuss further cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, also known as ISIL, IS, and Daesh). The two officials thanked one another for their[…]

Qatar: Combating Terror or Abusing Human Rights?

Despite claims of supporting counter-terrorism policies, Qatar continues to abuse the human rights of citizens and non-citizens in the name of fighting terrorism, security and economic stability. On April 4, during a meeting in Washington D.C. with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani said that their approach of combating[…]