ADHRB at HRC36 Event Summary – Bahrain: Systematic State Abuse in the Name of Countering Terrorism

On 13 September 2017, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and Amnesty International hosted an event at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council that sought to explore the means by which Bahrain’s state security agencies—particularly the National Security Agency—systematically violate human rights in the name of countering terrorism. The panel[…]

Mixed Signals from Nominee for US Ambassador to Bahrain

12 September 2017 – The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SFRC) this morning held a hearing to consider the nomination of Justin Hicks Siberell to be the new Ambassador to Bahrain. While it remains deeply concerning that the Trump Administration, SFRC Chairman Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), and now the nominee to serve as[…]

ADHRB condemns US $3.8b arms sale to Bahrain amid human rights crisis

12 September 2017 – On Friday, 8 September 2017, the United States (US) Department of State notified potential foreign military sales (FMS) to the Government of Bahrain totaling approximately $3.8 billion. The sales include 1) two 35-Meter Fast Patrol Boats at an estimated cost of $60.25 million; 2) 19 F-16V aircraft with support at an[…]

Rights groups call on states to re-engage on Bahrain human rights concerns ahead of UN Human Rights Council

31 August 2017 – Today, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) along with other international human rights organizations have sent letters to 56 governments calling for increased pressure on the Bahraini government to make significant and immediate human rights reforms. The governments who received the letter joined in supporting a joint statement[…]

Dispatch: Criminalizing “Sympathy” – Free Expression Abuses Find New Catalyst in the GCC Crisis

Any end to the weeks-long Qatar-Gulf crisis was last month made contingent, in part, on the shuttering of Al Jazeera and its affiliate stations, as well as the closure of all news outlets that are—directly or indirectly, partially or wholly—funded by Qatar. Justified by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt as[…]