Khaled Al-Omair and Saudi Arabia’s Abusive Prison Practices

On 12 April 2017, the Saudi Arabian government released human rights defender Khaled Al-Omair from prison, more than six months after the completion of his eight-year sentence. He had been imprisoned on charges including “breaking obedience with the ruler” and “embarking on a protest.” These charges related to his attempts to hold demonstrations protesting Israeli[…]

HRC34 Oral Interventions: Item 6 on Bahrain’s lack of UPR implementation

On 17 March 2017, Michael Payne, International Advocacy Officer at ADHRB, delivered an oral intervention during the 34th session of the Human Rights Council under Item 6 on behalf of ADHRB, BIRD, and BCHR. In his intervention he addressed the Bahraini government’s unwillingness to implement its second-cycle UPR recommendations, including to curb torture or protect[…]

HRC34 Oral Interventions: Item #5 on Reprisals in Bahrain

On 17 March 2017, Ahmed Maki delivered an oral intervention at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council under Item 5. In his intervention, Ahmed addressed the trend of acts of reprisals against individuals engaging with the Human Rights Council, in particular Bahrain’s escalating reprisals against people engaging with the Council, beginning in 2014[…]

UN body finds Saudi Arabia arbitrarily detained Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon, and Abdullah al-Zaher

On 6 February 2017, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) released Opinion No. 61/2016. In the opinion, the WGAD determined that Saudi Arabia’s ongoing treatment of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood Hussein al-Marhoon, and Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher constitutes arbitrary detention and violates a number of international legal principles. Saudi security forces arrested Ali, Dawood,[…]

GCC Cases Raised in the HRC 34 Special Procedures Joint Communications Report

Bahrain:   Complaint         Mandate(s)                                  Communication Summary and Findings________________ 04 Jul 2016 Bahrain JUA BHR 3/2016 ·   arbitrary detention ·   freedom of opinion and expression ·   freedom of peaceful assembly and of association ·   health ·   human rights     defenders ·   torture Information received concerning Mr. Nabeel Rajab who has been repeatedly arrested and has[…]