Bahrain Weekly Newsletter #88

ADHRB Assesses King Abdullah’s Reign and Need for Reform in Saudi 20 January 2015 – ADHRB released a report Assessing the reign of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who died Thursday after more than a decade of rule. Despite his adopted status as a reformer and peacemaker, King Abdullah’s reign was marked by deterioration[…]

Bahrain’s Abuse of Tear Gas

On 20 January, security forces in Bahrain shot an unarmed protestor in the face with a tear gas canister at close range. A video of the graphic incident went viral, garnering so much media attention that the Bahraini government announced an internal investigation into the incident. Bahrain has a history of abusing tear gas, turning[…]

ADHRB Assesses King Abdullah’s Reign and Need for Reform in Saudi Arabia

January 23, 2015 – Washington, D.C. – Today, ADHRB released a report assessing the reign of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who died today after more than a decade of rule. Despite his adopted status as a reformer and peacemaker, King Abdullah’s reign was marked by deterioration in civil, political and human rights in the[…]

The Saudi Government’s Misuse of Anti-Terrorism Legislation

In 2008, the government of Saudi Arabia established the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) under the guise of prosecuting terrorism-related cases. In the seven years since its inception, however, the court has used anti-terrorism legislation to target human rights activists and government critics. The new Penal Law for Crimes of Terrorism and its Financing allows the[…]

Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

20 January 2015 – Today, a Bahraini court sentenced human rights activist Nabeel Rajab to six months in prison on a conviction related to a tweet he published in September 2014. Rajab was also ordered to pay 200 BHD ($530 USD) for his bail during his appeal process. Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in[…]