Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Hassan Matooq, a pediatric nurse and amateur photographer, was arrested and tortured while in detention, and then sentenced by a military court for taking pictures of the protests.

Five IFEX members and other organisations called on the Council to consider the findings of the Syrian Commission of Inquiry and ensure accountability for attacks on peaceful protesters.

The report gives background to the situation, then identifies and documents all the types of violations that took place, with the aim of putting out recommendations to the Bahraini government, as well as the EU, US, UN OHCHR and the ICC.

After hearing rumours of the death of Dawit Isaak, an Swedish-Eritrean journalist held without charge for ten years, 31 members of IFEX are asking President Isaias Afewerki to confirm that he is still alive and if so, to release him from prison.

Poet and blogger Jaafar AlAlawy was arrested by security forces on the morning of 8 November and taken into detention for questioning. It is still unclear why he was held.

Independent Judge Kennou suffered persecution for speaking in favour of an independent judiciary as the former Secretary-General of the AMT, under Ben Ali. She has now been elected AMT President.

Prior to the UN summit of world leaders in Rio in June 2012 (Rio+20) to discuss the environment and sustainable development goals, 77 civil society organisations recommend the adoption of national laws on access to information, public participation and access to justice in the environment, a new UN convention on access to environmental information, and a UN Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

A number of media professionals have recently been summoned to appear before criminal courts, according to BCHR.