On 2 April 2018, the Appeals Court in Muscat, Oman upheld the three-year sentence of writer and online activist, Abdullah Habib on charges concerning “state public order”. While the Court suspended two-and-a-half years of his sentence, he has been sent to Samail Central Prison to serve the remaining six months of his term. This recent[…]
04
May
May
After a longtime ban – spanning over three-decades – Saudi Arabia has re-introduce cinema into society. The decision is part of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s series of social reforms, as he brands himself a ‘modern’ and a ‘reformer’ in the international community. In reality, this is far from the case. The small steps he[…]
30
Apr
Apr
On 17 April 2018, Martin Griffiths, the new United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Yemen, gave his first briefing to the UN Security Council. In his remarks, he told the Council that he will give them a framework for negotiations within the next two months and that a political solution to end the devastating fighting[…]
30
Apr
Apr
The United Kingdom recently opened a military base in Bahrain in an effort to bolster its role as a “major player” in the Middle East. Presiding over the formal ceremony last Thursday, Prince Andrew officially opened the base in front of a crowd including Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. The base is the[…]
24
Apr
Apr
Bahraini Public Prosecution Advocate General Osama al-Oufi announced on 24 April 2018 that the High Criminal Court had adjourned the new trial of imprisoned opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman and his two in absentia codefendants, Sheikh Hassan Ali Juma Sultan and Ali Mehdi Ali Al Aswad, until 21 June. The court is expected to issue[…]
