Articles by Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
No August reprieve for journalists and activists in the Middle East and North Africa
Whether authoritarian regimes, so-called democracies or warring armed groups, those who wield power in the Middle East and North Africa have taken internet censorship to new levels and stepped up their individual campaigns against critics, journalists, and opponents this month.
Collective response vital to protect civic space in the Middle East and North Africa
A group of human rights activists and civil society organisations have issued a public call urging greater solidarity and strategic coordination to address the unabated assault on fundamental freedoms, including the fundamental right to freedom of expression and opinion, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Syrian magazine banned in Douma and its journalists sentenced to prison
“Rising for Freedom” (Talaana Aaharih) magazine has been banned in Douma, Syria and two of its journalists sentenced to prison over an article published earlier this year. The offices of the magazine and NGOs including the Violations Documentation Centre (VDC) were shut down in March 2017, and VDC was closed again this week after being attacked by a mob.
MENA round-up: Freedom of assembly and freedom of the press hit hardest in July
This July, protesters in Israel and Morocco were met with violence and journalists were subjected to harassment and denial of access, Lebanon banned protests, and 150 organisations met in Doha to discuss threats to freedom of expression in general, and the case of Al Jazeera in particular.
Prominent Bedoon rights advocate remains unjustly imprisoned in Kuwait
Prominent human rights defender Abdulhakim Al-Fadhli is still being held at the Central Prison in Kuwait and risks facing deportation from the country, according to reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR).
Pressure mounts on Cambodia a year after Kem Ley’s killing
On the one-year anniversary of the death of popular Cambodian activist Kem Ley, civil society organisations from around the world reiterated their call for an independent inquiry.
MENA round-up: A clear return to authoritarian tactics across the region
This June, the Gulf crisis and its ramifications on the right to free expression across the region dominated the news. Other developments included protests in Morocco and Lebanon, censorship in Egypt and the West Bank, and the loss of lives in Iraq.
Qatar renews travel ban imposed on prominent human rights lawyer Najeeb Al-Nuaimi
Al-Nuaimi is a well-known human rights lawyer who voluntarily defended prisoners of conscience in Qatar, including poet Mohamed Rashid Al-Ajami.