Canadian company to censor Bahrain’s internet

Netsweeper, a Canadian company, has offered to provide the Bahraini government with internet censorship technology. In exchange for $1,175,000, the company will supply the Bahraini government with a “national website filtering solution.” Netsweeper has been involved in a number of questionable partnerships in recent years. Last year, researchers criticized the company for providing the Houthi[…]

Former MP calls on Canadian government to help free citizen held in UAE

Salim al-Aradi is a dual Libyan-Canadian citizen who was arrested without charge in the UAE approximately 17 months ago. The Canadian government is currently facing allegations that they have were aware that the Emirati authorities tortured al-Aradi and yet failed to inform his family. According to Dan McTeague, a former Canadian MP, the government does not have[…]

Concern for Activist Fadhel Radhi if He Is Sent Back to Bahrain

Bahrain has demanded that the International Criminal Police Commission take steps to extradite activist Fadhel Radhi back to Bahrain. Armenian authorities detained Radhi on 1 January 2016 following his escape from Bahrain, where he was sentenced to seven years in prison for “political and arbitrary” reasons. A number of human rights organizations issued a statement[…]

Qatar’s World Cup ambitions cannot overshadow migrant’s rights issues

Qatar once again demonstrated its World Cup ambitions by signing world-class player Xavi Hernandez to one of its teams for three years. While it is unclear if hiring star talent will bolster Qatar’s reputation as a leader of the global football community, as recent matches continue to suffer from low attendance, human rights analysts suggest[…]

Bahrain Charges Al-Wasat Journalist with Terrorism

After his arbitrary arrest on 28 December, the Bahraini Interior Ministry named journalist Mahmood al-Jazeeri, a reporter for Al-Wasat News, as among those arrested for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks funded by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, the veracity of which has been questioned by experts. On 31 December, al-Jazeeri’s lawyer told al-Wasat, “prosecutors had[…]