Kuwaiti MP faces lawsuit for “Insulting Comments” about Saudi Arabia

A Kuwaiti Member of Parliament, Abdul-Hamid Dashti, is currently facing a “homeland security lawsuit” for allegedly insulting the “administration and leaders” of Saudi Arabia during a televised speech.  On 13 March, Kuwait’s National Assembly approved a claim to lift Dashti’s parliamentary immunity so that the lawsuit could proceed. Although he will still be allowed to[…]

Newsletter #147

Bahrain NGOs call for the release of activist Zainab al-Khawaja Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO), and European Centre for Democracy and Human Right (ECDHR) condemn in the strongest terms the arrest of Zainab[…]

NGOs call for the release of activist Zainab al-Khawaja

14 March 2016 – Bahraini security forces today raided the house of human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja and arrested her with her 15 months old son. The undersigned NGOs condemn in the strongest terms the arrest of Zainab and her son over charges merely related to her activism and exercise of free expression. On 14[…]

Bahrain acquits security officers of torture, sentences Shia cleric for free speech

On Monday March 7, Bahrain’s Second High Criminal Court commuted the sentence of a police officer, convicted of beating a prisoner, from two years to three months. That same day another Bahraini court upheld the August 25, 2014 verdict acquitting nine police officers charged in May 2013 with assaulting, beating, and torturing 13 prisoners. The[…]

MEPs write to the EU High Representative to follow-up on the human rights situation in Bahrain

14 March 2016, Brussels – The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR), Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), and Justice Human Rights Organization (JHRO), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) welcome the letter sent to the EU’s High Representative Ms Federica[…]