News

Rights groups condemn the sentencing of Ramlah Dahmani under Decree 54 as a dangerous escalation in the targeting of women human rights defenders and the criminalization of solidarity

The undersigned organizations express their strong condemnation of the in absentia verdict issued on 1 July 2025 against activist Ramlah Dahmani, sentencing her to two years in prison with immediate enforcement. The ruling was issued under Article 24 of Decree No. 54 of 2022, which criminalizes the dissemination of “false information” via communication networks, a provision that is overly […]

NGOs call on Saudi Arabia to improve women’s rights under the scrutiny of the CEDAW Committee

MENA Rights Group, Amnesty International, ALQST for Human Rights and the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights call on Saudi Arabia to improve women's rights in the country and to abide by the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Saudi authorities must end misuse of administrative and judicial measures against released human rights defenders including Loujain al-Hathloul

MENA Rights Group joins 13 civil society organsiations in calling on Saudi authorities to immediately cease their misuse of judicial and administrative measures against human rights defenders, including the practice of imposing arbitrary travel bans, and to ensure that judicial complaints are addressed in accordance with international legal standards.

Partners of Saudi Arabia should send observers to upcoming trial hearings of Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani

MENA Rights Group joins NGOs in calling on partners of Saudi Arabia to monitor the ongoing trial of Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani, who are sentenced to 27 and 35 years in prison for their social media activity.

Saudi Arabia: NGOs renew call for lifting of the illegal travel ban on women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul

MENA Rights Group joins 13 civil society organisations in calling on Saudi Arabia’s authorities to immediately lift the illegal travel ban imposed on woman human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul. A court-imposed ban on her travelling abroad expired six months ago today, but since then she has been under an arbitrary travel ban with no expiry date, in violation of both international human rights law and the kingdom’s own legislation.

IWD 2024: CSOs renew their call on Saudi authorities to release jailed women’s rights activists

On International Women's Day 2024, MENA Rights Group led a coalition of civil society organisations in renewing our call on Saudi authorities to release women human rights defenders, women’s rights activists and their supporters who are detained in contravention of international human rights standards. We further urge the authorities to lift travel bans on any women activists and to abolish the male guardianship system.

Saudi Arabia: End Male Guardianship

On International Women's Day, MENA Rights Group joined 7 organisations in calling for the end of male guardianship in Saudi Arabia, which is particularly codified by the Personal Status Law.

Saudi authorities must release women’s rights activist Salma al-Shehab

Following the sentencing of Saudi women's rights activist and academic Salma al-Shehab to 34 years in prison as a result of her activity on Twitter, MENA Rights Group joins 34 other organisations calling for sustained international pressure on Saudi Arabia to immediately and unconditionally release al-Shehab.

UAE: Call for the release of Amina al-Abdouli and Maryam al-Balushi on International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, MENA Rights Group joined NGOs in calling on the release of Amina al-Abdouli and Maryam al-Balushi, who have been detained arbitrarily in the UAE since 2015.

CNN: Reveal relationship with UAE monarchy and report on UAE’s violations of women’s rights during Dubai Expo coverage

A coalition of eight rights-based organisations is calling on CNN, an official broadcaster of the Dubai Expo2020, to reveal all financial and contractual terms of its relationship with the UAE monarchy, "Dubai Expo2020," and of their “Dubai Now” promotional content. In their letter, the coalition also calls on CNN to commit to reporting on the UAE’s terrible human rights violations and their use of events like the “Expo 2020 Dubai” for propaganda purposes. If CNN is unable to meet the aforementioned requests, the coalition calls on CNN to immediately withdraw as an official broadcaster for the UAE Dubai Expo

Withdraw from UAE Dubai Expo and Condemn UAE’s War in Yemen: Letter to Governments and Business Executives

September 2, 2021 Heads of State and Senior Government Officials: Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne, Australia Ambassador to UAE Heidi Venamore Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmés, Ambassador to UAE Peter Claes President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, […]

Withdraw from UAE Dubai Expo and Condemn UAE’s Violation of Women’s Rights: Letter to Governments and Business Executives

September 2, 2021 Heads of State and Senior Government Officials: Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne, Australia Ambassador to UAE Heidi Venamore Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmés, Ambassador to UAE Peter Claes President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, […]

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