EVENT SUMMARY: Bahrain’s Fake Reform? Human Rights Failures on the Eve of the Manama Dialogue

On 1 December 2016 Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and Amnesty International hosted an event in Congress entitled “Bahrain’s Fake Reform? Human Rights Failures on the Eve of the Manama Dialogue.” The event largely discussed how institutions set up after 2011 to address and prevent human rights violations have failed to[…]

Bahrain government must cease judicial harassment of Faisal Hayyat and other Bahraini journalists

46 human rights organizations have signed a letter asking King Hamad to immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned journalist Faisal Hayyat, and to cease the judicial harassment of all journalists in Bahrain. ________________________ To: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain CC : Hon. Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr.[…]

In “bizarre” summons, Bahraini authorities attempt to interrogate exiled activist

On 16 November 2016, the Government of Bahrain sent masked civilian police and riot police to surround the house of Asma Darwish’s family in Sitra, Bahrain. Authorities sent the police to Darwish’s house to summon her to Bahrain’s Public Prosecution Office (PPO) the next day for charges of “illegal gathering” she allegedly participated in three[…]

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[…]

#TriedForTweets: @angryarabiya – Zainab al-Khawaja

Using her Twitter handle, @angryarabiya, Zainab al-Khawaja amassed nearly 50,000 followers and became a prominent voice of the 2011 pro-democracy movement in Bahrain.  She, along with fellow human rights defenders, provided on-the-ground updates on protests and demonstrations via her Twitter page. Her cyberactivism helped bring greater international attention to the human rights abuses committed by the Government[…]