January 17th, 2016 / September 10th, 2018
Human Rights
It is essential that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, states the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet they are violated nearly everywhere, including in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This section contains a permanently updated selection of articles on the developing human rights situation in each country in the MENA region.
Further reading
Iran Raises the Pressure on Human Rights Defenders
Most of the human rights defenders whose cases are detailed in the Observatory’s report are detained in Tehran’s Evin prison. They are kep...
In Lebanon, Freedom of Speech Under Attack as Mashrou’ Leila Concert Scrapped
Organizers of the Byblos International Festival yielded to pressure from church officials, politicians and online groups who accused the...
International Community Turns Blind Eye to Executions in Bahrain
The international community has been urged to put pressure on Bahrain to respect freedom of expression. However, many believe that the United...
In Saudi Arabia, No Let-up in Brutal Policies Against Dissenters
Saudi Arabia’s attitude to human rights is particularly ambivalent. On the one hand, Riyadh shows signs of increasing openness. On the o...
Human Rights in Turkey: A Tired Tune
Any discussion of Turkish human rights must mention the difficulties faced in cementing the rights of women and ethnic and sexual minorities....
In Saudi Arabia, Persecution Pushing Up the Number of Runaways
Girls constitute 96 per cent of those fleeing the country. The study, conducted in the Mecca area, shows that the reasons given for running...
Fate of Detained Iranian Environmentalists Still Uncertain
As the external pressure on Iran mounts, the security apparatus is increasing its crackdown on what it considers a ‘threat to national s...
Oman Continues Crackdown on Activists and Reformers
A report describes in depth how human rights defenders are routinely beaten, placed in solitary confinement and forced to endure extreme...
In Israel, Human Rights NGOs Face Bullying and Defunding
Most Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs that fight against the Israeli occupation of Palestine face the same problem: vilification...
In Iraq, Fears arise for Women's Safety
Women in Iraq have been institutional victims of sectarian religious conflicts, Islamic law, cultural traditions and even the Iraqi constitution....
Alleged Murder of Washington Post Journalist by Saudi Arabia Reignites Human Rights Debate
Saudi Arabia has proved itself to be an ardent opponent of human rights, despite MBS’ PR campaigns proclaiming reform. The kingdom has, s...
In Syria, Missing Details of Dead Prisoners Haunt Families
Local and international human rights organizations have documented the inhumane conditions in Syrian detention facilities, and testimonies...
In the United Arab Emirates, Human Rights Under Attack
The UAE is also implicated in abuses against detainees in UAE-controlled prisons in Yemen, according to Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor....
Women-mules in Morocco: Between Morocco’s Indifference and Spain’s Organized Traficking
The Moroccan female porters made headlines nationally and internationally when two women were killed at a stampede in Ceuta on August 29,...
Is the Curtain Falling on Free Press in Israel?
Israel has always proudly described itself as the sole democracy in the Middle East. A strong pillar of a healthy democracy is freedom of...
No Illusions about Al-Sisi’s Second Term after new Wave of Arrests in Egypt
In any case, the wave of arrests over the past weeks shows that the regime of Al-Sisi is planning to follow the path it has chosen since...
In Bahrain, Human Rights Situation Deteriorating
“The human rights situation is the worst it has been in the country’s modern history,” Khalid Ibrahim, director of the Gulf Center for H...
Jordan Makes Progress on Women’s Rights, Repeals ‘Marry the Rapist’ Law
Under Article 308 of the penal code, rapists who married their victims and remained married for at least three years were pardoned. Some...
Israel Approves Contentious Law, Puts Pressure on NGOs
On 11 July 2016, the Israeli Knesset passed a law requiring non-governmental organizations that receive more than half of their funding from...
Morocco’s New Hakkaoui Law On Violence Against Women Falls Short
Hakkaoui Law provides some protections against violence, for example street harassment and forcing a minor to marry, punishable by between...
Survivors Tell of Horror of Egypt’s Prisons
In today’s Egypt, anybody can go to prison. Young men risk arrest if a member of their family has a past affiliation with an outlawed movement. T...
Turkey’s Gay Soldiers in the Crosshairs
Criticizing the lack of evidence for any arguments that gay soldiers affected military performance, Yildirim concluded by saying that the...
Human Rights in Tunisia a Work in Progress
Tunisia has come a long way since Ben Ali’s repressive rule, but it still has a long way to go to become a country where human rights are f...
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