Profile in Persecution: Fadhel Abbas Sahwan

Fadhel Abbas Sahwan was a football player on the first team of the Galali Bahraini Club. Following high school, he worked as a driver at the National Motor Company. On 5 March 2017 he was violently arrested at his grandmother’s house in Sanabis. He was tortured and subjected to an unfair trial. He was imprisoned[…]

Rights Groups to Bahrain: Respect Religious Freedom and end Systematic Discrimination

3 April, 2020 – Twenty-two international religious rights group written to the King of Bahrain raising serious concerns regarding ongoing religious freedom violations in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in particular against the kingdom’s Shia Muslim citizens and surrounding important Shia religious dates and events, as well as political marginalization based on religion. The letter which[…]

Saudi Arabia: Update on the Shame Reform

سجون السعودية

The Ongoing Arrest and Detention of Women Human Rights Defenders In May 2019, Amnesty International marked Saudi Arabia’s disgraceful “Year of Shame” in remembrance of a year’s passing since the arrest of several prominent women human rights defenders (WHRDs). Amnesty International stated that “a year ago, the authorities started locking up some of Saudi Arabia’s[…]

UN Experts Send Follow-Up Letter to Bahrain on Zulfiqar Mass Trial, Highlight Failure of Oversight Mechanisms

On 14 October 2019, five United Nations (UN) Special Procedures offices sent an Allegation Letter to Bahrain concerning the trial of the so-called “Zulfiqar Brigades,” a mass trial of 138 defendants, in which 115 were convicted. The Special Procedures offices sent a previous communication on 5 November 2018, detailing allegations of enforced disappearances, torture to[…]

UN Special Procedures Publish Allegation Letter to Qatar on Discriminatory Treatment of the Bahá’í Religious Minority

On 16 August 2019, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief sent an to the Government of Qatar. The letter brought forth allegations concerning the discriminatory treatment of the Bahá’í religious minority in Qatar, specifically involving deportations, blacklisting, the inability to build a cemetery,[…]