News

Civil society organisations condemn sentencing of Egyptian academic and researcher Patrick George Zaki

MENA Rights Group joins 40+ civil society organisations in condemning the Egyptian authorities' sentence against academic and researcher Patrick George Zaki for merely exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Ruling against Sadek sets dangerous precedent for freedom of opinion in Lebanon

As part of the “Freedom of Opinion and Expression Coalition” in Lebanon, MENA Rights Group strongly condemns judicial decisions aimed at suppressing freedom of expression, especially the charges against journalist & media personality Dima Sadek.

UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls for immediate release of Saudi women’s rights activists Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani

Following a complaint submitted by ALQST for Human Rights, Democracy for the Arab World, Freedom Initiative, Human Rights Foundation and MENA Rights Group, the UNWGAD issued an Opinion qualifying the detention of Saudi activists Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani as arbitrary and in violation of international human rights standards.

Violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia

MENA Rights Group joined 14 civil society organisations in urging the UN Special Rapporteur to address and condemn the violation of the right to peaceful assembly in the 4 countries.

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture: MENA states must end practice and hold perpetrators accountable

MENA Rights Group was joined by regional and internnational civil society organisations in urging MENA states to fulfill their obligations under the UN Convention against Torture, including the eradication of the practice of torture & accountability for perpetrators.

Lebanon: 5 years on, no tangible progress in enforcing anti-torture law

In honor of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, local civil society organisations joined MENA Rights Group in urging Lebanese authorities to enforce Lebanon’s Anti-Torture Law No. 65/2017.

Civil society urges French President Macron to consider Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record during Crown Prince’s visit to Paris

Led by MENA Rights Group, civil society organisations wrote a joint letter to French President Emmanuel Macron amid Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Paris, urging him to consider the widespread human rights violations occurring in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia: Microsoft should suspend data center plans

MENA Rights Group joins 17 organisations in urging Microsoft to suspend its plans to invest in a new cloud data center in Saudi Arabia due to the country's record of human rights violations.

Universal Periodic Review: UN Member States urge UAE to protect human rights defenders, prohibit torture and uphold freedom of expression

The UAE received 323 recommendations from UN Member States on various human rights issues during its 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Ahead of the review, MENA Rights Group submitted a shadow report outlining a set of recommendations. In the press release below, we summarise the most crucial recommendations.

Joint Open Letter to the UNHCR in Lebanon

MENA Rights Group joins 30+ organisations in calling on the UNHCR to increase cooperation and transparency with local organisations in order to address the unlawful deportations of Syrian refugees from Lebanon.

Civil society concerned over Saudi Arabia’s attempt to whitewash its human rights record through the World Expo 2030

Led by MENA Rights Group, civil society calls on the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to exclude the candidacy of Saudi Arabia as a potential host for World Expo 2030 on account of its grave and internationally documented and recognised appalling human rights record.

Lebanon: Court decision is a blow to freedom of expression and independence of lawyers

As part of the Coalition to Defend Freedom of Expression in Lebanon, MENA Rights Group condemned the Beirut Bar Association's amendment of the code of ethics, which will now require lawyers to obtain prior permission from the President of the BBA before engaging in any public or media appearances or discussing legal issues on social media, and bans lawyers from criticising the President of the BBA and its council members.