Champions for Justice: Bahrain’s Pro-Democracy Movement

Five years ago this week, hundreds of thousands of people rose up in support of democracy and human rights in Bahrain. After enduring decades of structural inequalities, corruption, and repression, nearly half the country’s citizen population gathered to demand reform. The government responded swiftly, and severely. Riot police flooded the streets, employing excessive and indiscriminate[…]

From the Ground: Systematic Torture in Bahrain

Since October 2013, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) has regularly received complaints regarding individual allegations of human rights abuses in Bahrain. Generally, these complaints contain information communicated directly from the victim or the victim’s family, and concern the victim’s treatment at the time of arrest, during detention, and – in some[…]

Mapping Bahrain’s Human Rights Violations

Skip to the map here. On February 14, 2011, thousands of Bahrainis participated in a “Day of Rage” in Manama, inspired by the popular upheavals in Egypt and Tunisia. They hoped that peaceful protests could change the political landscape of the country. By the end of the night, 21-year old Ali Mushaima was dead. This[…]

Photographer Ahmed al-Fardan Imprisoned for Illegal Assembly

On 3 February 2016, a Bahraini court upheld photographer Ahmed al-Fardan’s three-month prison sentence on charges of “attempting” to protest. We condemn the Bahraini authorities’ continued targeting and prosecution of photographers and journalists, which directly violates internationally guaranteed freedoms of expression and media. On 26 December 2013 at 3:00 A.M., security forces raided al-Fardan’s house,[…]

Enough platitudes, John Kerry – it is time the US got tough with Saudi Arabia

On 2 February 2016, International Business Times published an op-ed by ADHRB advocacy associate Ellen Duthoy regarding the US’ silence amidst Saudi Arabia’s increasing human rights abuses both at home and abroad. The first paragraphs of the article are found below; the rest can be viewed here.    At the end of January, attachés to[…]