Saudi Arabia Continues to Target Shia Opposition Clerics

The Government of Saudi Arabia targets and prosecutes political and religious activists who speak out against the government. Among those it targets are dissident clerics from the kingdom’s restive Eastern Province Shia minority like Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. Sheikh Nimr was a forceful critic of the government. Due to his speeches, Saudi security forces harassed[…]

The Cross-Sectarian Appeal of Sheikh Nimr’s Ideals

Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr was an ardent advocate against all forms of oppression. He was a Shia cleric who pushed for equality for Saudi Arabia’s Shia Muslim population, while also promoting increased political freedom for the kingdom’s Sunni Muslims. His ideals have resonated around the country and across sectarian lines. Much of the appeal of[…]

#BahrainSpeaks: Voices from the Ground, part 2

Click here to read Part One of our Voices from the Ground installment, #BahrainSpeaks  Since the 2011 Bahraini uprisings, there has been a severe crackdown from the government on the civil liberties of the country’s citizens. Years of mass incarceration, torturing political prisoners, and repressing the freedoms of speech and assembly have finally culminated in[…]

#BahrainSpeaks: Voices from the Ground, part 1

Since the 2011 Bahraini uprisings, there has been a severe crackdown from the government on the civil liberties of the country’s citizens. Years of mass incarceration, torturing political prisoners, and repressing the freedoms of speech and assembly have finally culminated in some of the largest protests seen since 2011. The June 2016 arrest and detention[…]

Legal Dispatch: HRD Nabeel Rajab Illegally Detained, Must Be Released

On 13 June 2016, the Government of Bahrain arrested prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab from his home. The Government did not initially justify the arrest, but later stated that he had committed crimes against the Bahraini State in making statements over Twitter. Mr. Rajab has been incarcerated initially in East Riffa Police Station and[…]