Bahrain Interrogates, Tortures Ebtisam al-Saegh as HRC35 Approaches

31 May 2017 – On 26 May 2017, Bahraini security forces subjected human rights defender Ebtisam al-Saegh to seven hours of torture and interrogation over her activism, including her engagement with United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms. The Bahraini government’s actions in this regard represent the latest in a series of acts of harassment and[…]

UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights’ Visit to Saudi Arabia

From 8 to 19 January, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, will undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia to examine Saudi Government’s efforts to combat poverty. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur will focus on the ways[…]

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[…]

States Should Strip Saudi of its HRC Membership Rights

On 28 October 2016, the nations of the world re-elected Saudi Arabia to a seat on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC). Saudi won its bid to a seat on the Council by running unopposed. Regardless of the circumstances of its election, UN and HRC member states should freeze Saudi Arabia’s position on[…]

EVENT SUMMARY: “Living as Commodities: Human trafficking and migrant exploitation in the Arab Gulf”

On 25 October 2016, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), along with Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy (BIRD), and Amnesty International co-hosted a panel at the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament. The event coincided with the release of ADHRB’s newest report, Living as Commodities: Human and sex trafficking in the GCC,[…]