Judging by the list of people Saudi Arabian courts sentenced in recent weeks, the kingdom seems to be struggling to determine which forms of religious expression are and are not “criminal.” Last week, a Saudi court sentenced Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh to death for apostasy. Saudi Arabia’s religious police arrested Fayadh at a cafe in[…]
23
Nov
Nov
Dr. Mohammed al-Roken, a human rights defender and lawyer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence as a result of a mass trial of 94 human rights defenders and political activists in the UAE. Before his conviction, Dr. al-Roken served as one of the defense lawyers at the trial[…]
16
Nov
Nov
Today marks four years since Qatari authorities arrested Mohammed al-Ajami for the contents of his poetry. Al-Ajami is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence and will remain in prison barring a pardon from the emir. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls on the government of Qatar to respect his right to[…]
09
Nov
Nov
On 28 October 2015, the United Arab Emirates won election to a second term on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). According to Lana Nusseibeh, the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN, the UAE’s election represents “a milestone for the UAE’s diplomacy and a testimony from the international community of the great achievements[…]
06
Nov
Nov
After posting a tweet that said “I miss my brother,” UAE security forces summoned Asma Khalifa al-Suwaidi and her two sisters to a police station on 15 February 2015. They were not seen or heard from for three months. Prior to their disappearance, the sisters peacefully campaigned on Twitter for the release of their brother,[…]
