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In response to the Algerian government’s crackdown on opposition and independent forces in the country, MENA Rights Group, in cooperation with 81 Algerian, regional and international human rights organisations, sent a letter to the member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for urgent action on Algeria at the upcoming 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The signatory organisations urged member states to adopt a demand to promptly open independent, impartial and effective investigations into allegations of torture and other ill-treatment perpetrated by the Algerian authorities against citizens peacefully expressing their opinions or demonstrating. The

June 8, 2021 Dear President Biden, We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations focused variously on human rights, peacebuilding, and the protection of civilians, write in opposition to the United States government’s plans to sell $735 million in advanced weapons systems and munitions to Israel. The planned arms sales to Israel would send a signal of support […]

On June 1, 2021, 63 NGOs called on the Egyptian government to urgently address the serious human rights concerns raised by several UN bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council and several Special Procedure mandate holders. The Egyptian authorities have been critised for their crackdown on independent organisations and peaceful dissent through repressive measures such as arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture for years and have yet to take the necessary steps to bring their actions in line with their international human rights obligations.

The undersigned human rights and digital rights organizations urge Google to immediately halt its plan to establish a new Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia until the company can publicly demonstrate how it will mitigate adverse human rights impacts. Saudi Arabia’s recent track record of repression of all public dissent, alleged espionage and infiltration of […]

On May 19, 2021, a coalition of 11 organisations jointly called on Saudi Arabia to return the remains of those executed by the Saudi authorities. In their joint-statement, the undersigned organisations additionally called for those responsible for the April 2019 mass execution of 37 people to be held accountable.

On May 14, 2021, MENA Rights Group joined a coalition of 12 NGOs calling on the U.S. government to help lift the travel ban imposed by the Saudi authorities against Loujain Al Hathloul. In their letter, the coalition expressed their deep concern about Al Hathloul's safety if she were to remain in Saudi Arabia.

We, the undersigned organisations, trade unions and institutions, condemn and reject the expulsions taking place in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood; a Palestinian neighborhood in Occupied East Jerusalem. These actions are part of the racist and apartheid policies, laws and prosecutorial practices that Palestinians face in Jerusalem and the entirety of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. We […]

On Monday May 10, a coalition of 27 NGOs jointly called on the recipients of the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards to reject their prize, withdraw from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and stand in solidarity with prisoners of conscience in the UAE.

By Ramzi Kaiss. Originally published on Democracy for the Arab World Now’s (DAWN MENA) Democracy in Exile page on May 5, 2021. Saudi Arabia is no stranger to political repression, but in the years following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to power, the price to be paid by critical voices in the kingdom has […]

On the International Day for Freedom of the Press on May 3, the undersigned organizations call on the authorities of the Kurdistan region of Iraq to stop their continuous violations of the freedom of the press, lift restrictions imposed on journalistic work; to end their campaigns on the prosecution and detention of journalists for their legitimate work, open a serious investigation into the death of a journalist who was covering the popular demonstrations in August 2020, and bring all those responsible to justice.

In a joint letter to US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Jake Sullivan, a coalition of international rights organisations has called on the US government to maintain human rights standards as conditions for providing military aid to Egypt.

April 24, 2021 marks one year since prominent Saudi human rights defender Dr Abdullah al-Hamid passed away, while serving an 11-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges. Before his passing, Dr al-Hamid was suffering from heart conditions and was advised to undergo surgery. However, prison authorities delayed his operation for several months, leading to the […]