UAE Court Formally Charges Salim al-Aradi

On Monday, 18 January 2016, after almost a year and a half of detention, an Emirati court has formally charged Salim al-Aradi with two counts of “providing financial support for, and cooperating with, terrorist groups.” When police first arrested al-Aradi, a dual Canadian-Libyan citizen, they did not provide any reason for his arrest. Al-Aradi claims[…]

Bahraini non-cooperation stymies Indian human trafficking investigation

On January 14, authorities in Mumbai arrested five people, including a couple, suspected of engaging in sex racketing and human trafficking between Bahrain and India. The suspects acted as intermediaries by recruiting girls online with promises of employment in Bahrain. Reportedly, after reaching Bahrain, the women were threatened and coerced into prostitution. Authorities accused two[…]

Families concerned that youth activists could be executed at any moment

The families of three inmates arrested as juveniles for participating in protests informed The Independent that the UK’s private intervention had not yielded a change in their sons’ cases. The families of the detained told reporter Adam Withnall that despite UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond’s claim that he did “not expect” Ali al-Nimr to be[…]

South Asian Children Reportedly Trafficked for UAE Camel Races

Reportedly trafficking foreign and impoverished children for the purpose of camel racing is a common practice in the United Arab Emirates, where at least 50% of the children trafficked are from West Bengal in India. According to a new report, young boys are preferred to be camel jockeys because they are considered light and speedy[…]

Structural flaws in Bahrain’s National Institution for Human Rights impact its report writing

Opposition group al-Wefaq expressed “deep disappointment” on the content of Bahrain’s National Institution for Human Rights’ annual report. In a statement, al-Wefaq alleged that the report’s content is “far from reality” and “has disregarded many of the blatant violations taking place” in Bahrain. The opposition group asserted that “impunity is the most significant issue missing[…]