Qatar’s new sponsorship law fails to abolish kafala system

16 December 2016 – A new sponsorship law in Qatar fails to reform the kafala system and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) finds that these failed reforms continue to leave migrant workers vulnerable to abuse. On 13 December 2016, a new law governing the sponsorship of migrant workers in Qatar came[…]

Qatar government blocks prominent news outlet, restricts press freedom

On 30 November, Qatar’s leading English independent news publication, Doha News, reported that its users in Qatar could not access its site online or on mobile phones. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) is deeply concerned by this alleged act of censorship by the Qatari government, which constitutes an assault on media[…]

EVENT SUMMARY – #TriedForTweets: Social Media Activism and State Surveillance in the GCC

16 November 2016 – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) held an event at American University in Washington, DC, on how state surveillance by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments has negatively affected human rights activists and other civil society members’ social media use. ADHRB’s Advocacy Fellow, Mobashra Tazamal, hosted the event. Panelists[…]

ADHRB writes open letter to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall ahead of Dubai visit

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) recently sent a letter to the Duchess of Cornwall regarding her upcoming visit to the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children in the United Arab Emirates. The text of the letter is as follows:  Your Royal Highness, On Tuesday 8 November, you will be visiting the[…]

UAE-Oman porous border contributor to human trafficking

Recently, several Indian migrant workers were rescued after having spent months in Buraimi, a small border town in Oman. The women were promised jobs as beauticians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but upon arrival in Dubai, they were taken to a house and kept by their traffickers for weeks before they were transported across[…]