Bahrain Vows Legal Action Against Critics of Saudi Execution of Sheikh Nimr

4 January, 2016 – In the wake of Saudi Arabia’s mass execution of 46 individuals, and opposition cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqer al-Nimr on 2 January 2016, mass protests erupted in Bahrain in solidarity with the fallen cleric. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to take all necessary security measures to “safeguard” the[…]

GCC States Follow Saudi Arabia and Sever Diplomatic Ties with Iran

Since Saudi Arabia’s mass execution of 47 people on 2 January 2016, several states have followed Saudi Arabia’s lead and severed diplomatic ties with Iran. Among the first states to recall their ambassadors from Tehran were Bahrain, Sudan, and the UAE. Kuwait recently became the fourth GCC member state to take diplomatic action against Iran[…]

Saudi Arabia and its Allies Support Mass Executions Despite Protests

Saudi protestors have reportedly called for the removal of the royal family following the government’s execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr along with 46 other individuals convicted of terror crimes. Residents of the country’s marginalized Eastern Province publicly demonstrated against the monarchy, criticizing the mass execution and expressing support for Sheikh Nimr. According[…]

Prisoner Profile: Dr. Ahmed al-Zaabi

On 26 March 2012, Emirati security forces arrested Dr. Ahmed Yousef al-Zaabi, a former judge and law professor in the UAE. Dr. al-Zaabi is also the brother of Obaid al-Zaabi, a human rights defender detained by the authorities in July 2013. Upon his arrest, Dr. al-Zaabi was taken to Abu Dhabi’s al-Razeen Prison, where security[…]

100 Days Later: Where is Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith?

Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith is a prominent economics professor and human rights defender in the United Arab Emirates. On 18 August 2015, government forces arrested Dr. bin Ghaith without charge and detained him at an unknown location. It has been over 100 days since he was last seen or heard from. The authorities first targeted Dr.[…]