On January 2, 2022, the UAE’s new Law on Combatting Rumours and Cybercrime went into effect, replacing the Emirates’ former 2012 Law on Combatting Cybercrime. The new Law, however, further restricts free speech in the UAE and criminalises and imposes heavy prison sentences on acts that are protected under international law. In a joint statement providing a legal analysis of this new text, MENA Rights Group and 14 human rights organisations call on the UAE to immediately repeal or sufficiently amend the law.
MENA Rights Group joins a coalition of 27 human rights organisations urging the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, the United States Secretary of State, Germany’s Foreign Minister, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and Secretary-General of the Council of Europe to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Bahraini academic and human rights defender, Dr Abduljalil AlSingace. The letter below is addressed to the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
The undersigned non-governmental organisations celebrate the release of Ramy Shaath, a valiant human rights defender who has inspired many in the Palestinian and Egyptian rights communities with his bravery and courage. His release is a triumph for all his friends, family members, NGOs, parliamentarians and thousands of supporters worldwide; it confirms once again that standing up for human rights and speaking out persistently in the face of injustice can and does make a real difference.
A coalition of 11 NGOs raises serious concerns over the sustained repression of fundamental freedoms and legitimate human rights work in Algeria, including the marked proliferation of prosecutions on baseless terrorism charges against human rights defenders, journalists and peaceful activists.
Joint letter signed by 15 human rights NGOs calling on the Prime Minister of Morocco to reject the extradition of Yidiresi Aishan to China on the grounds of non-refoulement.
NGOs raise serious concerns for physical and psychological integrity of prisoner of conscience Abdallah Benaoum subjected to long-term judicial harassment.
The undersigned members of the global legal community stand in solidarity with Egyptian lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer as he awaits his verdict on baseless criminal charges on December 20, 2021, following years of reprisal by the Egyptian state. The signatories call on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against el-Baqer, to promptly release him unconditionally, and to lift the restrictive measures imposed on him for his work as an attorney. They further call on the Egyptian authorities to halt the targeting of Egyptian lawyers for their legal defense work and exercise of fundamental freedoms.
In a joint letter to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, a coalition of 86 NGOs and independent experts call on the EU to place targeted sanctions against the Israeli NSO Group.
In a joint letter, 16 human rights organisations call on the CEO of Formula One Group to end sportswashing ahead of the Grand Prix that will take place in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in December 2021 and, instead, to use this event as a platform to highlight human rights violations perpetrated by these regimes.
A coalition of 64 organisations call on the United Nations General Assembly to act swiftly to establish an investigative mechanism to gather and preserve evidence of serious human rights abuses and violations of the laws of war in Yemen. Failure to act would not only be a vote for impunity in Yemen, but it would also be a green light to commit further abuses and war crimes.
Joint letter on the the adoption, by the Mauritanian parliament, of the Law on the protection of national symbols and criminalisation of offenses against the authority of the state and the honour of the citizen on November 9, 2021. The signatory organisations fear that this law will negatively impact the exercise of freedom of expression in Mauritania.
In a joint-letter signed by 46 organisations, MENA Rights Group joins a coalition of NGOs calling on the US Congress to oppose the Biden administration's plan to sell air-to-air missiles and hundreds of missile launders to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the undersigned NGOs, the sale of such weapons to Saudi Arabia would violate existing laws that prohibit the United States from providing arms and security assistance to gross human rights violators and those restricting access to humanitarian assistance.
