Annual Report 2025

Dear friends and supporters,

As I write these words, I reflect on another year of profound violence and repression across the Middle East and North Africa. Our first thoughts go to the victims of genocide in Gaza and Sudan, whose suffering continues with complete impunity. At MENA Rights Group, we remain deeply committed to denouncing human rights violations and supporting those who dare to speak out against injustice, despite the immense risks they face.

2025 has been marked by intensified attacks against civil society across the region, compounded by significant funding cuts to human rights organisations. Adding to these challenges, the mounting practice of transnational repression has meant that members of civil society are attacked even when they try to flee and seek safety elsewhere – and no place is truly safe for MENA human rights defenders. These obstacles have made our work increasingly difficult, limiting our capacity to respond to the growing number of individuals seeking our support.Yet despite these challenges, we were pleased to see some impact from our efforts  – several individuals we assisted regained their freedom, and critical human rights issues gained the attention they deserve.

However, we must be honest: the overall human rights situation across the region is not improving. It has become increasingly difficult to capture international attention and generate meaningful action. Most concerning is that the UN system and human rights mechanisms on which we rely – the last remaining vestiges of international human rights law – are themselves facing severe difficulties and unprecedented attacks. This erosion of the very foundations of human rights protection is deeply alarming.

Internally, 2025 has brought important changes to our team. I want to bid a heartfelt goodbye to my dear friend and colleague Alexis Thiry as he moves on to new adventures. Alexis was a pillar in building MRG and has been with us since our foundation – his contributions have been invaluable, and he will be greatly missed.

I am pleased to announce key changes in our team as we head into 2026. Falah Sayed has been appointed Senior Legal Officer and Advocacy Lead, and Tanya Boulakovski has been appointed Senior Legal Officer and Research Lead. I am especially proud that these leadership appointments reflect MENA Rights Group’s commitment to building a young, dynamic, and female-led team. When MENA Rights Group was created, we had a clear vision of what we wanted it to be: women-founded, women-led, dynamic, and different from what we'd experienced elsewhere. I am grateful to have such dedicated professionals guiding these core areas of our work, and I look forward to the meaningful impact their leadership will bring in the years ahead. I also want to thank Justine Lager and Estelle Allemann, who are continuing to bring their energy and dedication to our mission.

Last but not least, I want to honour the survivors, victims and their families who continue to place their trust in us, despite the egregious abuses they face and the risks of speaking out. I also want to thank our partners from this incredible human rights community we are part of, as well as our board members and volunteers, without whose passion and commitment MENA Rights Group would not stand as it does today.

I am deeply grateful to our funders for their continued belief in our work: Open Society Foundations, the State of Geneva, the City of Geneva, Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, the Global Center for Cooperative Security, Access Now, the CSO Coalition on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, Carouge Municipality, The REDRESS Trust and the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law.

In solidarity,

Inès Osman, 

Co-founder and Executive Director