Release and ensure rights of wrongfully convicted scholar-activist Khalil al-Halwachi

Today, a coalition of five human rights organizations expressed grave concern over the lack of due process rights and inhumane treatment of Khalil Al-Halwachi, a Bahraini scholar of engineering and an activist, who has been convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison on charges that apparently stem from peaceful expressive and associative activity. See[…]

Transfer of Saudi Juvenile Detainee Renews Concerns over Abuse of Child Prisoners

On 25 May, the Saudi government transferred Murtaja Algariras, a minor, to the General Directorate of Investigations (GDI) prison in al-Dammam. The GDI, also known as al-Mabahith, has a reputation for torturing prisoners, renewing concerns that Saudi authorities are subjecting juvenile detainees like Algariras to abuse. Algariras was arbitrarily arrested on 20 September 2014 while[…]

Women and Poverty in Saudi Arabia

On 28 April 2017, Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, released the report of his visit to Saudi Arabia. In his report, the Rapporteur focused on poverty among both Saudi women and female migrant laborers in the kingdom. This approach was entailed by the Rapporteur’s definition of poverty[…]

HRC35 Item 2 Oral Intervention: Bahrain Reprisals Against Activists

On 7 June 2017, at the 35th session of the Human Rights Council, Yusuf al-Hoori delivered an oral intervention on behalf of ADHRB and BIRD under the Item 2 debate. During his intervention, Yusuf raised the issue of reprisals against Bahraini human rights activists, including Ebtisam al-Saegh and Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei. He discussed the deepening[…]

HRC35 Item 2 Oral Intervention: Bahrain Authorities Violently Raid Duraz Protests

On 7 June 2017 at the 35th session of the Human Rights Council, ADHRB’s international advocacy officer, Michael Payne, delivered an oral intervention on behalf of ADHRB and BIRD during the Item 2 debate. In his intervention, he discussed the Bahraini authorities’ violent raid on the peaceful protesters in Duraz. In the raid, Bahraini security[…]