Rights group, UN experts express concern over Bahrain arrests
2 years, 1 month ago

Rights group, UN experts express concern over Bahrain arrests

Al Jazeera  

HRW says Manama still committing widespread rights violations as it seeks to ‘display image of reform and tolerance’. Bahrain must drop all charges against three men who have been arrested amid ongoing violations of the “rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association” in the Gulf country, Human Rights Watch has said. The appeal on Tuesday by the international rights group comes after three independent United Nations experts expressed concern over the “alleged arbitrary detention and subsequent arrests” of four people – including three minors – following protests in the town of A’ali in 2021 against Bahrain’s normalisation of ties with Israel. HRW said Jalal al-Qassab, Redha Rajab and Mohamed Rajab were set to go on trial on Tuesday after being charged under a law that criminalises “expression that ‘ridicules’ any of Bahrain’s ‘recognised religious texts'”. In December, three UN rapporteurs sent a letter to Bahrain’s government expressing concerns over the arrests of human rights activist Yusuf Ahmed Hasan Kadhem, 17-year-old Ali Mustafa Majid Maki and two unidentified 16-year-olds following their participation in the anti-Israel normalisation protests in October 2021.

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History of this topic

In UN Human Rights Office report, a sharp indictment of Sheikh Hasina govt
1 month, 2 weeks ago

In UN Human Rights Office report, a sharp indictment of Sheikh Hasina govt

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s former Awami League government and security and intelligence services “systematically engaged” in serious human rights violations during last year’s student-led protests that led to the ouster of premier Sheikh Hasina, the UN Human Rights Office said in a report released on Wednesday. Anti-government protestors display Bangladesh's national flag as they storm Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's palace in …

HRW calls out Ethiopia for ‘assault’ on rights groups
2 months ago

HRW calls out Ethiopia for ‘assault’ on rights groups

The Hindu  

Ethiopia is waging an “escalating crackdown” on civil society, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, denouncing the suspension of two independent human rights groups in recent weeks. In December, a government body overseeing civil society suspended the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, the country’s oldest independent rights group, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center. “By suspending groups engaged in critical …

Foreign Office accused of blocking British citizenship for prominent Bahrain human rights activist
9 months, 1 week ago

Foreign Office accused of blocking British citizenship for prominent Bahrain human rights activist

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. However officials at the Foreign Office have been dragging their feet after being consulted …

Saudi Arabia hears dozens of countries critique its human rights record at the U.N. in Geneva
1 year, 2 months ago

Saudi Arabia hears dozens of countries critique its human rights record at the U.N. in Geneva

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabia had its record on human rights including freedoms for women, prosecutions for freedom of speech, use of the death penalty and alleged killing of migrants at its border with Yemen critiqued at the United Nations on January 23. In the kingdom's first formal review at the U.N. Human Rights Council since November 2018, the Saudi Arabia delegation said …

UN report calls on Saudi Arabia to release 2 women jailed over tweets, alleging rights abuses
1 year, 8 months ago

UN report calls on Saudi Arabia to release 2 women jailed over tweets, alleging rights abuses

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.N. human rights experts on Friday called for the release of two Saudi Arabian women they say were arbitrarily detained and denied basic rights after tweeting criticism of the kingdom’s policies. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a panel of independent experts tasked by the U.N. Human Rights Council with investigating possible violations, said in …

Human rights groups condemn attacks on Tunisia’s judiciary
1 year, 10 months ago

Human rights groups condemn attacks on Tunisia’s judiciary

Al Jazeera  

Thirty-seven groups, both Tunisian and international, voiced concern over the crackdown on the judiciary’s independence. About 37 organisations – both Tunisian and international ones, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International – released a statement on Monday voicing concern about the crackdown on the judiciary’s independence and the withering away of the right to a fair trial in the country. …

Bahrain revokes Human Rights Watch parliament conference visas
2 years ago

Bahrain revokes Human Rights Watch parliament conference visas

Al Jazeera  

Move comes after HRW called for conference attendees to raise the issue of ‘repression of human rights in Bahrain’. Bahrain has revoked visas issued to Human Rights Watch to attend an international parliamentary conference, the rights group said on Friday, days after raising concerns about the Gulf state’s rights record. HRW, which holds permanent observer status with the IPU, had …

Legislators urged to raise Bahrain human rights at int’l assembly
2 years ago

Legislators urged to raise Bahrain human rights at int’l assembly

Al Jazeera  

Parliamentarians urged to raise severe restrictions on political freedom when they gather in Manama from March 11. Rights groups are urging members of parliament attending this year’s Inter-Parliamentary Union in Bahrain to use the assembly to raise concerns about the “dire state of political freedom” in the Gulf country. In a joint letter to the delegates of the IPU Assembly, …

Torture leaves Bahrain inmates with long-lasting ‘wounds’: Report
2 years, 2 months ago

Torture leaves Bahrain inmates with long-lasting ‘wounds’: Report

Al Jazeera  

Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Bahrain are suffering from the long-term effects of torture and other alleged violations experienced during their arrest, interrogation and imprisonment, according to a new report. The non-profit Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain said on Monday it had found through interviews and medical reports that many victims were unable to resume …

UN rights body condemns Iran crackdown on protesters, sets up probe
2 years, 4 months ago

UN rights body condemns Iran crackdown on protesters, sets up probe

India Today  

The UN Human Rights Council voted Thursday to condemn the bloody crackdown on peaceful protests in Iran and create an independent fact-finding mission to investigate alleged abuses, particularly those committed against women and children. The United Nations’ top human rights official had earlier appealed to Iran’s government to halt the crackdown against protesters, but Tehran’s envoy at a special Human …

UN rights council moves to investigate Iran’s protest crackdown
2 years, 4 months ago

UN rights council moves to investigate Iran’s protest crackdown

Al Jazeera  

‘Fact-finding mission’ will probe alleged human rights abuses in Iran, with particular focus on women and children. The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to establish a fact-finding mission to investigate potential abuses in Iran’s crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, with a particular focus on women and children. “The people of Iran, from all walks of life across ethnicities, across …

UN hearings probing alleged Israeli rights abuses open in Geneva
2 years, 4 months ago

UN hearings probing alleged Israeli rights abuses open in Geneva

Al Jazeera  

The outlawing of Palestinian rights bodies and killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh will be in focus during the 5-day hearings in Geneva. A United Nations independent commission of inquiry has begun public hearings on the alleged human rights violations in the Palestinian territories, with the first day focusing on Israel’s outlawing of several Palestinian rights organisations last …

Bahrain's Shiites hope pope raises human rights during visit
2 years, 4 months ago

Bahrain's Shiites hope pope raises human rights during visit

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The watchwords of this visit are coexistence and dialogue and the Bahraini …

50 countries express 'grave' concern at human rights violation in China, urge to free detained Uyghurs
2 years, 4 months ago

50 countries express 'grave' concern at human rights violation in China, urge to free detained Uyghurs

Hindustan Times  

Fifty mainly Western countries urged China on Monday to fully implement all recommendations in a U.N. report accusing the country of possible “crimes against humanity" against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups, including taking prompt steps to release all those “arbitrarily deprived of their liberty” in the far western province of Xinjiang. The report concluded that China has committed …

HRW report says laws are marginalising Bahrain opposition
2 years, 5 months ago

HRW report says laws are marginalising Bahrain opposition

Al Jazeera  

Human Rights Watch says laws are used to keep the opposition from running for office or even serving on the boards of civic organisations. The Bahraini government is using its “political isolation laws” and a series of other tactics to keep the opposition out of public office and other aspects of public life, according to a report by NGO Human …

U.N. cites possible crimes against humanity in China’s detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang
2 years, 7 months ago

U.N. cites possible crimes against humanity in China’s detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang

LA Times  

China’s detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity, the United Nations human rights office said Wednesday in a long-awaited report that cited “serious” rights violations and patterns of torture in recent years. The 48-page report says “serious human rights violations” were committed in Xinjiang between 2017 and …

US rights group calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Bahrain
3 years ago

US rights group calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Bahrain

Al Jazeera  

Bahraini-American rights organisation says Gulf country is heading towards another ‘sham’ vote in November. A Bahraini-American rights group has called on Bahrain to release political prisoners and allow independent monitors to observe the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections in order to avoid a repeat of what it called a “sham” vote in 2018. “Conditions in Bahrain at the present time make …

Bahraini political dissident extradited from Serbia
3 years, 2 months ago

Bahraini political dissident extradited from Serbia

Al Jazeera  

Ahmed Jaffar Mohammed Ali was extradited despite an ECHR ruling he not be sent home pending further investigations. A Bahraini political dissident has been extradited from Serbia following an Interpol Red Notice issued at Manama’s request, the interior ministry said, despite a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights prohibiting the extradition. According to the London-based Bahrain Institute for …

Government tolerates human rights abuses for trade with Bahrain – SNP
3 years, 2 months ago

Government tolerates human rights abuses for trade with Bahrain – SNP

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The SNP accused the UK Government of tolerating human rights …

Bahrain authorities jailed hundreds of children: Report
3 years, 6 months ago

Bahrain authorities jailed hundreds of children: Report

Al Jazeera  

Some 607 children endured various forms of physical abuse while held in Bahraini prisons over the past decade, new investigation reveals. At least 607 children were subjected to various forms of torture by Bahraini authorities while in detention over the past decade, a new Al Jazeera investigation reveals. Abdul Majeed Marari, Middle East director of the human rights group AFD …

US senators urge State Dept to confront Bahrain’s ‘repression’
3 years, 6 months ago

US senators urge State Dept to confront Bahrain’s ‘repression’

Al Jazeera  

Since a 2011 uprising, the Gulf country has arrested thousands of protesters and reportedly subjected prisoners to torture. A bipartisan group of United States senators has called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press the Kingdom of Bahrain to end what it calls the “violent, systemic repression” of its population. “We write to raise our concerns about the government …

Rights groups slam UAE official’s Interpol president candidacy
3 years, 10 months ago

Rights groups slam UAE official’s Interpol president candidacy

Al Jazeera  

UAE interior ministry official Ahmed al-Raisi has been accused of the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners. The candidacy of a United Arab Emirates official for president of Interpol could jeopardise the credibility of the global police organisation’s commitment to human rights, Human Rights Watch and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights have said. “General al-Raisi’s selection as Interpol president would …

15 rights groups urge Biden to address Bahrain abuses
4 years ago

15 rights groups urge Biden to address Bahrain abuses

Al Jazeera  

Donald Trump’s policies encourage authoritarianism in Manama, rights groups say; want Biden to reset relations. A group of 15 rights groups urged the administration of US President Joe Biden to address the deterioration of human rights in Bahrain by adopting a rights-based foreign policy towards the Gulf. The group, which includes the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, Amnesty International, …

Saudi Arabia rebuked at UN over Jamal Khashoggi killing, abuses
4 years, 6 months ago

Saudi Arabia rebuked at UN over Jamal Khashoggi killing, abuses

Al Jazeera  

Statement by dozens of countries highlighted a wide range of serious human rights violations in the kingdom. Dozens of nations condemned Saudi Arabia before the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday over serious violations and demanded accountability for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Torture, disappearances Tuesday’s statement, which was hailed by several human rights groups, also highlighted a wide …

Bahrain court upholds death sentence against two men in 2014 case
4 years, 8 months ago

Bahrain court upholds death sentence against two men in 2014 case

Al Jazeera  

Rights groups say Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa were tortured to extract false confessions over bombing of convoy. Bahrain’s top court has upheld death sentences against two men convicted of bombing a convoy and killing a police officer, as human rights groups said their conviction was based on confessions extracted through torture. Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa lost their final …

Saudi cites UN job application as evidence against activist Loujain al-Hathloul
6 years ago

Saudi cites UN job application as evidence against activist Loujain al-Hathloul

CNN  

CNN — A prominent Saudi activist’s admission that she once applied for a job at the United Nations is being used as part of the kingdom’s case against her, CNN has learned. Saudi Arabia has not publicly released the charges against women’s rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul, or several other prominent female activists who are currently on trial in Riyadh on …

Detained Saudi women’s rights activists tell judges of abuse
6 years ago

Detained Saudi women’s rights activists tell judges of abuse

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Nearly a dozen Saudi women’s rights activists seated before a three-judge panel in a Riyadh courtroom Wednesday laid out their defense and spoke of physical and sexual abuse they say they were subjected to by masked interrogators, according to people with knowledge of the case. Several people with knowledge of the cases say charges against …

Detained Saudi women’s rights activists brought to court
6 years ago

Detained Saudi women’s rights activists brought to court

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia appeared in a closed-door court hearing Wednesday on unknown charges after being detained in a crackdown last year, making their first appearance before a judge in a case that has sparked international outrage. The arrests came just before Saudi Arabia began allowing women to drive, something women’s rights activists …

Saudi criticised over human rights by 36 countries
6 years ago

Saudi criticised over human rights by 36 countries

The Quint  

London, March 8 Thirty-six countries have signed an open letter criticising Saudi Arabia's human rights record, media reported. It urges Saudi Arabia to release human rights activists jailed for "exercising their fundamental freedoms" and to "disclose all information available" about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "I call upon Saudi Arabia to ensure that all members of the public including …

Saudi Arabia criticized over human rights by 36 countries
6 years ago

Saudi Arabia criticized over human rights by 36 countries

CNN  

CNN — Thirty-six countries have signed an open letter criticizing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. It urges Saudi Arabia to release human rights activists jailed for “exercising their fundamental freedoms” and to “disclose all information available” about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “I call upon Saudi Arabia to ensure that all members of the public including human rights defenders …

UN human rights chief calls for release of Saudi activists
6 years ago

UN human rights chief calls for release of Saudi activists

Al Jazeera  

The United Nations human rights chief has called on Saudi Arabia to release women activists allegedly tortured in detention after Saudi authorities accused them of harming the country’s interests. “Today, allow me to voice my concern at the apparently arbitrary arrest and detention and alleged ill-treatment and torture of several women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia,” Bachelet – who …

Jailed women’s rights activists to face trial in Saudi Arabia
6 years ago

Jailed women’s rights activists to face trial in Saudi Arabia

Al Jazeera  

Detainees ‘enjoy all rights preserved by the laws’, prosecutor’s office says, after reports of torture in custody. Saudi Arabia‘s public prosecution office has referred detained women’s rights activists to trial, saying those charged “enjoy all rights preserved by the laws in the kingdom” after they were reportedly tortured in custody. The Saudi government has rejected the allegation with Friday’s statement …

Rights groups call for access to Saudi detainees
6 years, 2 months ago

Rights groups call for access to Saudi detainees

Al Jazeera  

Rights groups have called on Saudi Arabia to grant them access to detainees in the kingdom a day after British parliamentarians threatened to publish their own report detailing allegations of mistreatment unless Riyadh allows them in by next week. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to allow independent monitors to meet detainees, including women’s …

Bahrain opposition leaders sentenced to life in prison after court reverses spying acquittal
6 years, 4 months ago

Bahrain opposition leaders sentenced to life in prison after court reverses spying acquittal

ABC  

A Bahraini court has ordered life sentences for three senior opposition members, overturning a previous acquittal on charges of spying for Qatar in what an international rights group called a "travesty of justice". Key points: Opposition figures were accused of spying and receiving financial support from Qatar They say they are being targeted for their political views Shiite leader is …

Female drivers stage protest outside Saudi embassy in London as detention of women's rights defenders reaches 100 days
6 years, 7 months ago

Female drivers stage protest outside Saudi embassy in London as detention of women's rights defenders reaches 100 days

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Saudi woman’s new car set on fire by young men who harassed her Earlier this month …

Saudi Arabia ‘arrests two women’s rights activists’
6 years, 7 months ago

Saudi Arabia ‘arrests two women’s rights activists’

Al Jazeera  

The arrests, which took place over the past two days, are the latest in a government crackdown on ‘peaceful dissent’. Saudi Arabia has arrested two prominent women’s rights activists, the latest to be swept up in a government crackdown on activists, scholars and journalists, an international rights group said on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch said authorities arrested Samar Badawi and …

UN rights office calls for international probe in Kashmir
6 years, 9 months ago

UN rights office calls for international probe in Kashmir

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The U.N. human rights chief called Thursday for an independent international investigation into reports of rights violations in the disputed region of Kashmir, laying blame for civilian deaths and injuries on the actions of both India and Pakistan. In its first report on the region, the office of Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, …

Concern over Saudi arrests of women’s rights activists
6 years, 10 months ago

Concern over Saudi arrests of women’s rights activists

Al Jazeera  

Crackdown before the lifting of a driving ban on women casts doubt over Saudi’s approach to reforms. Human rights organisations voiced their concern over the detention of women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, a month before the kingdom removes a ban on female drivers. “It is shocking that Saudi Arabia is detaining prominent women’s rights defenders – the real champions …

Saudi Arabia ‘arrests women’s rights activists’
6 years, 10 months ago

Saudi Arabia ‘arrests women’s rights activists’

Al Jazeera  

Saudi authorities detained seven women’s rights defenders since May 15, Human Rights Watch says. In a statement issued on Saturday, US-based HWR said Saudi authorities had detained seven women’s rights defenders since May 15. “Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s ‘reform campaign’ has been a frenzy of fear for genuine Saudi reformers who dare to advocate publicly for human rights or …

Bahrain court issues verdict for 60 accused of Iran links
7 years, 2 months ago

Bahrain court issues verdict for 60 accused of Iran links

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A top court in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain sentenced two people to death on Wednesday and issued lengthy prison sentences against nearly all 60 defendants on terrorism charges in a case that highlights the rivalry between Sunni Gulf states and Shiite-ruled Iran. Members of the group were found guilty of importing explosives, firearms …

Bahrain: It's Time to Talk About Travel Bans
7 years, 4 months ago

Bahrain: It's Time to Talk About Travel Bans

Huff Post  

Nedal Al Salman, stopped at Manama airport today. At around 2.30pm local time today, human rights defender Nedal Al Salman went to Bahrain’s airport near the capital Manama to board a flight to nearby Dubai. Al Salman, who works for the award-winning Bahrain Center for Human Rights, says she’s never been given reason for any of the previous travel bans. …

Bahrain charges opposition leader with ‘spying’
7 years, 4 months ago

Bahrain charges opposition leader with ‘spying’

Al Jazeera  

Ali Salman, leader of the now-banned Al-Wefaq party, and former MP Hassan Sultan accused of ‘hostile acts’. Bahrain has charged the leader of the country’s outlawed main opposition party with “spying” and suggested the 2011 Arab Spring protests that gripped the country were instigated by a “foreign country”. Bahrain’s public prosecutor charged Ali Salman, secretary-general of the al-Wefaq party, and …

Bahrain's Six Years of Dangerous Decline
7 years, 5 months ago

Bahrain's Six Years of Dangerous Decline

Huff Post  

Protests used to be allowed: July 2013. With depressing symmetry, Bahrain put four civilians on trial in a military court again this week, almost exactly six years after it stopped the practice as part of a much vaunted “reform” program. In October 2011 international human rights organizations, including Human Rights First, were permitted access to Bahrain to report firsthand on …

Rights groups slam Saudi arrests of religious figures
7 years, 6 months ago

Rights groups slam Saudi arrests of religious figures

Al Jazeera  

Rights groups have condemned the recent arrests by Saudi authorities of dozens of prominent religious figures, intellectuals and activists this week as “a coordinated crackdown on dissent”. “In recent years, we cannot recall a week in which so many prominent Saudi Arabian figures have been targeted in such a short space of time,” Amnesty’s Samah Hadid said. The organisation said …

The Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain is quietly heading towards a ‘total suppression of human rights’
7 years, 9 months ago

The Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain is quietly heading towards a ‘total suppression of human rights’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The accusations levelled at the group included violating the …

Saudi Arabia appoints Bahraini judge involved in Arab Spring crackdown to investigate alleged war crimes in Yemen
8 years, 4 months ago

Saudi Arabia appoints Bahraini judge involved in Arab Spring crackdown to investigate alleged war crimes in Yemen

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Saudi Arabia has appointed a …

US calls for release of Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab
8 years, 6 months ago

US calls for release of Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab

Al Jazeera  

Rajab might be facing charges of trying to “undermine the kingdom” after The New York Times published a letter by him. The US State Department on Tuesday called for Rajab’s immediate release after The New York Times published a letter by the activist that said he was facing prosecution for his work exposing human rights abuses in Bahrain and criticising …

US: Bahrain falls short on political, human rights reforms
8 years, 9 months ago

US: Bahrain falls short on political, human rights reforms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Bahrain has fallen short in implementing a series of political and human rights reforms, according to the State Department, undermining efforts to stabilize the tiny island kingdom after its Sunni-ruled government crushed Arab Spring protests five years ago. State Department spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday noted that Bahrain had implemented several important parts of the commission’s report. The …

Bahrain suspends main Shiite opposition party amid crackdown
8 years, 9 months ago

Bahrain suspends main Shiite opposition party amid crackdown

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bahrain suspended the country’s largest Shiite opposition group in a surprise court hearing Tuesday, intensifying its crackdown on dissent five years after Arab Spring protests rocked the island kingdom. A statement from the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry carried on the state-run Bahrain News Agency accused Al-Wefaq of creating “a new generation that carries the …

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