• Egyptians carry the coffin of a Shia victim who was killed in sectarian violence in Cairo. Photo taken June 24, 2013.
    © 2013 Reuters
    Egypt: Lynching of Shia Follows Months of Hate Speech
    The lynching of four Shia by a mob apparently led by Salafi sheikhs in the village of Abu Musallim in Greater Cairo on June 23, 2013, came after months of anti-Shia hate speech at times involving the ruling Muslim Brotherhood and its political party.
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Middle East/N. Africa

  • Iraq/Jordan/Turkey: Syrians Blocked from Fleeing War
    Jul 1, 2013
    Iraqi, Jordanian, and Turkish border guards are pushing back tens of thousands of people trying to flee Syria. Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey have either closed numerous border crossings entirely or allowed only limited numbers of Syrians to cross, leaving tens of thousands stranded in dangerous conditions in Syria’s conflict-ridden border regions. Only Lebanon has an open border policy for Syrians fleeing the conflict.
  • Saudi Arabia: 7 Convicted for Facebook Postings About Protests
    Jun 29, 2013
    Saudi Arabia sentenced seven government critics to prison on June 24, 2013, for allegedly inciting protests and harming public order, largely by using Facebook. The Specialized Criminal Court sentenced the men, all from the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years and barred them from travelling abroad for additional periods.
  • EU/Bahrain: EU Should Demand Release of Activists
    Jun 28, 2013
    European Union (EU) High Representative Catherine Ashton should pursue with Bahrain the immediate release of 13 high-profile activists and others detained or imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights. Ashton will attend an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministerial meeting in Bahrain on June 30, 2013.
  • Burma: Telecom Winners Should Safeguard Users
    Jun 27, 2013
    Burma’s new telecom license winners should make a public commitment to strong human rights policies and broad transparency measures, Human Rights Watch said. Firms should say how they plan to protect users from illegal surveillance and censorship, given the current lack of legal human rights protections in Burmese telecommunications law.
  • Libya: Displaced People from Tawergha Barred From Return
    Jun 27, 2013
    Libyan authorities should allow displaced residents of the city of Tawergha to return to their homes safely. Local authorities in Ajdabiya turned back a group of Tawerghans on June 25, 2013. Some had left Benghazi in a convoy of about 40 cars for Tawergha, 750 kilometers west, only to be barred passage in Ajdabiya, 150 kilometers from Benghazi.
  • Egypt: Lynching of Shia Follows Months of Hate Speech
    Jun 27, 2013
    The lynching of four Shia by a mob apparently led by Salafi sheikhs in the village of Abu Musallim in Greater Cairo on June 23, 2013, came after months of anti-Shia hate speech at times involving the ruling Muslim Brotherhood and its political party.
  • UAE: Reports of Systematic Torture in Jails
    Jun 27, 2013
    United Arab Emirates (UAE) state security officers have subjected detainees to systematic mistreatment, including torture, say hand-written letters from detainees smuggled out of jails. The groups obtained 22 statements written by some of the 94 people on trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government. The mistreatment described in the letters is consistent with other allegations of torture at UAE state security facilities, and indicates that torture is a systematic practice at these facilities.
  • Saudi Arabia to Women: “Don't Speak Up, We Know What's Best For You”
    Jun 26, 2013
    With the sentencing of two female activists who tried to help an abused woman, the Kingdom has made it clear that it will not tolerate women who stand up for other women's rights.
  • Lebanon: Police Torturing Vulnerable People
    Jun 26, 2013
    Lebanese Internal Security Forces threaten, ill-treat, and torture drug users, sex workers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in their custody. The report was released on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
  • Syria: Counterterrorism Court Used to Stifle Dissent
    Jun 25, 2013
    The Syrian government is using its sweeping Counterterrorism Law and its recently established special court against human rights defenders and other peaceful activists.
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