Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

Organisations urge the Syrian government to not use the Anti-Terrorism Law or any other law to target human rights defenders, journalists, humanitarian workers and other peaceful activists. The Syrian government should also guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Syria are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

A coalition of groups calls on the Bahraini government to free imprisoned human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, jailed since July 2012, who is eligible for conditional release by 29 November 2013.

Twelve students at the El Azhar university in Egypt where arrested on 30 October 2013 during demonstrations in which they were protesting the arrest of a number of their colleagues and expressing their opposition to the current Egyptian authority.

Naji Fateel was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “the establishment of a group for the purpose of disabling the constitution.” A lawyer representing regional human rights groups has been denied entry into the country in order to observe Fateel’s appeal.

States that fail to protect human rights defenders or cooperate with the UN should not be elected to the UN’s top human rights body, IFEX members stress.

Egypt’s new bill would go beyond restricting protests to curb Egyptians’ freedom to engage in all forms of peaceful assembly.

Three human rights organisations based in the Middle East and North Africa organised an event at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 September 2013 to highlight the ongoing crackdown on rights defenders in the Gulf region.

News emerged from prison that some of those jailed in the UAE 94 case began a hunger strike on 31 July, with 20 detainees participating to protest the mistreatment they continue to be subjected to while in detention.