On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and outspoken peaceful social justice activist. Sheikh al-Nimr was an influential cleric in the Eastern Province town of Awamiyah, where he advocated for political freedom, human rights, and an end to oppression for all Saudis. He rose to prominence in[…]
10
Nov
Nov
On 20 June 2016, the Government of Bahrain revoked the citizenship of Sheikh Isa Qassim. Shortly following the announcement of the citizenship revocation, the government claimed that Sheikh Isa Qassim had been illegally collecting funds. Bahraini courts have postponed trial dates on Sheikh Isa Qassim’s case a number of times. Authorities have set the next[…]
26
Oct
Oct
On Monday 17 October 2016, Bahrain’s Court of Cassation ordered a retrial on the case of Sheikh Ali Salman. Sheikh Ali Salman is the former Secretary-General of the largest political opposition bloc in Bahrain, Al-Wefaq, which is now dissolved. The Government of Bahrain has convicted him for “inciting hatred” and “encouraging violent regime change” on[…]
27
Sep
Sep
On 27 September, Asma Darwish, Advocacy Officer at Bahrain Center for Human RIghts, delivered an oral intervention on behalf of ADHRB at the 33rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva under item 9. Please continue reading for full remarks or click here to download a PDF. Mr. President, The DDPA recognizes “with deep concern religious[…]
18
Jul
Jul
Government-sponsored oppression of Shia in Saudi Arabia is well documented. But government oppression also affects the populace more broadly, through legislation which violates fundamental human rights. Several widely-used laws criminalize political and religious criticism of the king, state, or religious establishment, contravening the universal right to freedom of opinion and expression. The government utilizes three[…]
