Advocacy

On May 14, 2021, MENA Rights Group joined a coalition of 12 NGOs calling on the U.S. government to help lift the travel ban imposed by the Saudi authorities against Loujain Al Hathloul. In their letter, the coalition expressed their deep concern about Al Hathloul's safety if she were to remain in Saudi Arabia.

We, the undersigned organisations, trade unions and institutions, condemn and reject the expulsions taking place in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood; a Palestinian neighborhood in Occupied East Jerusalem. These actions are part of the racist and apartheid policies, laws and prosecutorial practices that Palestinians face in Jerusalem and the entirety of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. We […]

On Monday May 10, a coalition of 27 NGOs jointly called on the recipients of the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards to reject their prize, withdraw from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and stand in solidarity with prisoners of conscience in the UAE.

By Ramzi Kaiss. Originally published on Democracy for the Arab World Now’s (DAWN MENA) Democracy in Exile page on May 5, 2021. Saudi Arabia is no stranger to political repression, but in the years following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power, the price to be paid by critical voices in the kingdom has […]

On the International Day for Freedom of the Press on May 3, the undersigned organizations call on the authorities of the Kurdistan region of Iraq to stop their continuous violations of the freedom of the press, lift restrictions imposed on journalistic work; to end their campaigns on the prosecution and detention of journalists for their legitimate work, open a serious investigation into the death of a journalist who was covering the popular demonstrations in August 2020, and bring all those responsible to justice.

In a joint letter to US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Jake Sullivan, a coalition of international rights organisations has called on the US government to maintain human rights standards as conditions for providing military aid to Egypt.

April 24, 2021 marks one year since prominent Saudi human rights defender Dr Abdullah al-Hamid passed away, while serving an 11-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges. Before his passing, Dr al-Hamid was suffering from heart conditions and was advised to undergo surgery. However, prison authorities delayed his operation for several months, leading to the […]

In an attempt to modernise the kingdom and diversify its economy, Saudi Arabia has announced a set of reforms in recent years. However, in early 2021, the authorities continued to severely repress any independent civil society movements and to target those who have campaigned for the introduction of these reforms. ALQST for Human Rights and MENA Rights Group condemn the renewed crackdown on human rights defenders and peaceful critics who have been brought to trial, sentenced to lengthy prison terms or had their convictions upheld or increased on appeal.

Ahead of the trial of Moroccan journalist Omar Radi on April 6, 2021, MENA Rights Group and 15 CSOs urged the Moroccan authorities to grant him provisional release and guarantee fair trial proceedings for all parties.

On March 24, 2021, MENA Rights Group and seven NGOs wrote to the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI), an intergovernmental initiative aimed at promoting the implementation of the Convention worldwide, and of which Morocco is a founding member state. The NGOs brought to the CTI’s attention the recent extradition of Osama Al Hasani to Saudi Arabia, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement, expressing concern over this serious setback in the implementation of the Convention by Morocco.

Detained lawyer and human rights defender Hoda Abdel Moneim's health has severely deteriorated in prison. MENA Rights Group and six other organisations have called on the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights to urge the Egyptian authorities to immediately release her, in order to prevent an irreparable damage to her health, and potentially to her life, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday 16 March 2021, a coalition of ten NGO's appealed, through a joint letter, to the Iraqi Council of representatives, asking them to amend the proposed Draft Law on Freedom of Assembly and Peaceful Demonstrations in order to bring it in line with the Iraqi Constitution and international human rights laws.