Understanding the role of UAE women in government

Amal al-Qubaisi, President of the UAE Federal National Council   In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government restricts men and women’s rights as voters and political candidates. In 2006, the government instituted a public voting process for the country’s 40-member parliamentary body, the Federal National Council (FNC), for the first time. However, authorities have[…]

Kuwait Using Travel Bans to Ensure Compliance and Payment

In the past three years, the total number of people facing a travel ban in Kuwait has reached 239,911.  In 2015 alone, Kuwaiti authorities ordered a total of 182,397 travel bans. Kuwait General Department of Sentences Enforcement statistics show that officials issued 22,616 travel bans during the first quarter of 2016. These bans make it[…]

UN Committee against Torture releases Concluding Observations on Kuwait

On 12 August 2016, the United Nations (UN) Committee against Torture (CAT) adopted its concluding observations for Kuwait’s third periodic report. Ahead of the review, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) submitted a shadow report to the Committee detailing the Government of Kuwait’s failings to adequately address ongoing allegations of the torture[…]

Oman Arresting Journalists in Affront to Free Press

In an attempt to stifle freedom of speech, Omani authorities have recently arrested three journalists from Azamn daily newspaper in connection to an article that was published on 26 July 2016. Officials believe the article criticized the country’s judiciary, and used this as the basis for the journalists’ arrests. On 9 August 2016, Oman’s Ministry[…]

UN Experts Grill Kuwait on Torture, Trafficking, Violence against Women

On 25 and 26 July 2016, Kuwait undertook its periodic review under the Convention against Torture, wherein the Committee in charge of implementing the Convention quizzed Kuwait on the implementation of its international obligations. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) assesses that the Committee accurately understood the situation of torture as being[…]