Medina 2009: Sheikh Nimr’s rise to prominence

Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was not always a prominent cleric in Saudi Arabia, but by the time of his execution on 2 January 2016, he had become a symbol of Shia demands for political equality. He began to rise in prominence and popularity in the wake of confrontations between Shia pilgrims and the Saudi[…]

Worker Bans Not Enough to Stop Human Trafficking in the UAE

Despite domestic worker labor bans, abuse against Indonesian women is still widespread in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Less than one week ago, an Emirati court sentenced three human traffickers to prison. They will each spend three years in jail for forcing an Indonesian women into prostitution. Instead of protecting female Indonesian domestic workers in[…]

The role of women in the 2011 Bahraini uprising

When the Arab Spring made its way to Bahrain on 14 February 2011, Bahraini authorities acted quickly to suppress the peaceful protests with violence. They detained, tortured, and killed protesters for exercising their rights to free speech and assembly. The Sunni al-Khalifa government specifically targeted leaders of the political opposition, which mainly consisted of Bahrain’s[…]

US Department of State Releases Trafficking in Persons Reports, Remains Critical of GCC Governments

Yesterday, the US Department of State released the 2016 Trafficking in Persons country narratives. Reports revealed that none of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have attained a Tier 1 status indicating compliance with minimum standards in eliminating human trafficking. Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) welcomes these thorough reports[…]

HRC32: ADHRB doubts Saudi Arabia’s commitment to UPR recommendations

On June 27, Ranya Alammar on behalf of  ADHRB delivered an oral intervention at the 32nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva under Item 6.  Please continue reading for full remarks or click here to download a PDF. الرجاء الضغط هنا لقراءة هذه الرسالة باللغة العربي Mr. President, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in[…]