US State Department Releases 2016 International Religious Freedom Report on Bahrain

  On 15 August 2017, the United States (US) Department of State launched its 2016 International Religious Freedom Report. The report “provides a detailed and factual overview of the status of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories, and documents reports of violations and abuses committed by governments, terrorist groups, and individuals.” Americans for[…]

US Senators call on Admin to utilize new legislation to sanction human rights violators

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) issued a press statement requesting that President Trump direct his Administration to fully utilize the Global Magnitsky Human Rights and Accountability Act. This new legislation allows for the Administration to enact sanctions against individuals or entities found to be committing gross human[…]

FCO Silence on Nabeel Rajab “Appalling,” Say 17 Rights Groups & MPs Ahead Of His Trial Tomorrow

6 August 2017 – The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s silence on the sentencing of human rights figure Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain has been called “appalling” in a letter to the Foreign Secretary, signed by 17 rights groups & MPs today. The President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights faces trial tomorrow, 7 August, for[…]

New Flexi Permit Could Provide Alternative to Kefala System in Bahrain

Bahrain’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has introduced a new regulation program that aims to give expatriates illegally residing and working in the country a way to obtain legal documentation to stay. This new regulation program, called the Flexi Permit, will be a significant deviation from the current kefala system since it will give workers[…]

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[…]