MENA in March: Iranian lawyer Nasrin Soutoudeh sentenced to 38 years; a campaign against F1 complicity, an index of online incitement against Palestinians, and more.

Our MENA Editor Joey Ayoub reviews the latest free expression developments from across the Middle East and North Africa during the month of February.

Egyptian TV presenter’s jail sentence for interviewing a gay man; Bahrainis stripped of citizenship; a Saudi activist’s death sentence lifted, and a Saudi teenager granted asylum; Iraqi photojournalist killed; and Palestinian journalists ‘collateral victims’ in Hamas-Fatah rivalry.

MADA has monitored a total of 43 attacks against journalist and media freedom in Palestine during December 2018, most of which were committed by Israeli occupation forces, with the remainder committed by Palestinians.

IFEX joins the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and other organisations in marking the International Day to End Impunity and calling on governments in the MENA region to take meaningful steps to protect journalists and human rights defenders, and ensure accountability for attacks by both government and extremist groups.

Egypt continues to implement new laws to crack down on dissent; Iran persecutes environmentalists and religious minorities; Israel attacks Palestinian journalists and violates the right to privacy, freedom of expression; Bahrain continues cruel treatment of prisoners of conscience; Lebanon ramps up interrogations of online activists.

Saudi Arabia grants women the right to drive while arresting women activists; governments use ‘anti-terror’ legislation in Bahrain and Egypt to crush dissent; repression of activists in Iran and UAE; Israel considers criminalising filming or recording Israeli soldiers as targeting of Palestinian journalists continues.

Celebrated Emirati human rights defender receives 10-year prison sentence; Palestinian journalists face most violence in years at hands of Israeli forces; plus Egypt, Tunisia, Beirut Pride, and more.