NGOs Initiate Campaign to Remove Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council

On 29 June 2016, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called upon the United Nations to immediately suspend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the Human Rights Council. In a joint statement, the two organizations asserted that “Saudi Arabia has committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its time as a Council member,[…]

UN Bows to Saudi Pressure and Removes them from ‘Blacklist’ over Conflict in Yemen

On 2 June, the United Nations (UN) released an annual ‘blacklist’ of countries and armed groups that have committed “grave violations” against children, including parties that recruit, kill, and/or abduct children, as well as conduct attacks on schools and hospitals. The list includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, government forces in Syria, the Islamic[…]

The UK Should Investigate Saudi Arabia’s Use of British Cluster Munitions in Yemen

On 24 May 2016, UK Minister for Defense Procurement Phillip Dunne claimed that “no UK-supplied cluster weapons have been used […] in the current conflict in Yemen.” Dunne’s statement contradicts evidence gathered by Amnesty International showing that at least 16 people have been killed by the use of cluster munitions in Yemen from July 2015[…]

In or Out of Prison, Bahraini HRDs Face Hard Times

The situation of human rights defenders and activists in Bahrain is precarious. Today, one of the most prominent of these activists, Zainab al-Khawaja, sits in a prison cell along with her infant son. She is sick with the flu and her family has been denied access to care for her or her child. Zainab al-Khawaja[…]

US-Saudi relationship status: “It’s complicated”

“It’s complicated” responded President Obama after being pressed about the status of his friendship with Saudi Arabia, the repressive monarchy doing more harm than good in the Middle East. Today, Obama is set to meet with his counterpart in this complicated relationship at the GCC summit where Saudi leaders and other GCC heads of state[…]