Bahrain: Protests, Violence Continue; Verdict June 22
Despite lifting the emergency law on Wednesday, Bahraini security forces have again used rubber and live ammunition, tear gas, and batons to disperse protesters in several villages including Diraz, Bani Jamrah and Karzakan - all near Manama. The Gulf Daily ...
Bahrain: Protests/Crackdown Renew
As the Bahraini government lifted the emergency law protests and the suppression thereof renewed in and around Manama. Meanwhile, King Hamad Issa Al Kahlifa justified the continued presence of foreign Gulf troops as protesting the country from external threats, not anti-government protests. The renewed crackdown ensues as human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawajah faces a military court trial. Top Wefaq opposition officials Sheikh Ali Salman, Ibrahim al-Marzouk, Abdel Jalil Ali ...
June 1, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, Protests, Rule of Law
May 31, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Featured, Journalism, Military, Protests, Reform, Rule of Law
Pres. Obama Reflects on Democratization in Poland
In a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Barack Obama reflected on the transitions facing the Middle East in light of discussions held with Polish politicians and democracy activists. “What’s required I think is, number ...
May 30, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Featured, Multilateralism, Reform, Rule of Law, Sectarianism, US foreign policy
Yemen: Fourth Time’s the Charm?
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he would sign a Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered deal for the fourth time following clashes that reportedly left 17 dead. The clashes broke out after Saleh once again backed away from signing the deal ...
May 25, 2011
Category: al-Qaeda, Diplomacy, Featured, Gulf Cooperation Council, International Law, Protests, Reform, Rule of Law, Yemen
Bahrain: Journalists Detained; Convictions Upheld
Bahrani police have detained two local reporters working for foreign news outlets. Mazen Mahdi, who works for the German news agency DPA, said he and a reporter France 24 were called in for questioning on Sunday. Mahdi said he was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten. Freedom House condemns a Bahraini appeals court decision to uphold the conviction of Ali Abdullah Hassan Alsingace and Abdul Aziz Abdul Redha Ibrahim Hussein, who were charged with killing two ...
Syria: Protester Beaten in Hama (Video)
A protester reportedly beaten to death by security forces in Hama on Friday.
Tunsia: Revolution’s Death Toll Higher Than Thought
Following his first trip to Tunisia following the Jasmine Revolution, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez reports that 300 Tunisians died and 700 were injured during the unrest. The number is significantly higher than original estimates for what has widely been viewed as a smooth and peaceful transition. Tunisian rights activist Radhia Nasraoui reports that torture and abuse carried out during the last weeks of the old regime continue ...