Call for release of rights activists facing terrorism charges in Syria

Nineteen regional and international human rights organisations call on the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against Mazen Darwish and two of his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).

Family, NGOs denied access to mass trial of Emirati activists

UAE authorities have been arbitrarily denying family members, international observers, and the international media access to the mass trial of 94 critics of the government.

Rights groups call for end to house arrests of Iranian activist, politicians

An appeal signed by Human Rights Watch and Reporters without Borders as well as other rights groups call for the immediate release from house arrest of two former presidential candidates and a political activist.

UAE accuses 94 Emiratis of conspiring to seize power

After more than 6 months without any judicial proceeding for some of the detainees, 94 Emirati nationals accused of plotting to seize power have been charged.

President Obama urged to help release Bahraini human rights defenders and activists

In a letter to the US President, 40 human rights organisations called for US support to release 13 Bahrainis, unjustly jailed by the Bahraini government, one of the strongest allies of the US in the region.

Syrian captors threaten to execute kidnapped journalist

Members of the Free Syrian Army have threatened to kill Ukrainian journalist Anhar Kochneva on 13 December 2012 if their demand for USD 50 million is not paid.

Political prisoners in Iran denied visits, medical care

Iran's authorities should end mistreatment of the prominent rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, say Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi and six human rights organizations.

Free peaceful activists, journalists, aid workers in Syrian amnesty

A coalition of human rights organisations calls on President Bashar al-Assad to release all peaceful activists, media professionals, and humanitarian assistance providers as part of an amnesty announced on 23 October, and give independent monitors access to detention facilities.

End persecution of human rights defenders in Bahrain now, says appeal to UNHRC

NGOs lobbying at the UN call for the release of human rights defenders, and to ensure that those who participate in Bahrain's UPR process do not face reprisals.

United Arab Emirates accused of torturing imprisoned activists

A coalition of human rights groups has called on the UAE to reveal activist Ahmed al-Suweidi's whereabouts and investigate torture allegations as list of political detainees grows to over 60.

Human rights groups call for immediate release of all prisoners of conscience in Bahrain

Rights groups criticise High Court decision to uphold "politically motivated" sentences of 13 imprisoned human rights defenders and political leaders.

Release Bahraini human rights activists now, say international groups

A group of 46 human rights organisations led by IFEX calls on member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge Bahrain to release human rights defenders and peaceful opposition activists.

UK Foreign Secretary urged to address repression of free speech in UAE

In an open letter to the foreign secretary, rights organisations point to the intimidation campaign against peaceful political activists.

RSF pays tribute to citizen journalists killed during uprising

RSF, through a live tweet application, is bringing to life the experiences of people who find ways of circulating information in the midst of danger.

Call to release freedom of expression defenders held incommunicado

Over 80 groups around the world call on the authorities to free human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers and writers, some of whom have been detained incommunicado; and request help from UN Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.

Rights organisations alarmed over threats to civil society after trip to UN

Human rights defenders, activists, journalists, doctors and lawyers who attended Bahrain UPR events in Geneva in May with IFEX members and partners have been threatened for speaking out about violations.

ARTICLE 19's submission to the Universal Periodic Review

ARTICLE 19 has called on the UN member states to urge the authorities to commit to preventing harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, stop controlling and censoring the media, increase internet freedom and end violations of the right to peaceful protest.

One hundred organisations call to end assault on freedom of speech, and to free all detained human rights defenders and netizens

UPDATE: The president of IFEX member Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Nabeel Rajab, was re-arrested and sentenced to three years in prison on 16 August. Many other human rights defenders remain in prison, including BCHR's founder Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and his daughter, Zainab Al-Khawaja.

Authorities urged to free students jailed for speaking out

A joint campaign initiated by Iranian and international student and rights groups calls for the unconditional and immediate release of the 32 students in prison on various national security-related charges.

World Press Freedom Day: an occasion to defend freedom of expression

For Palestinian journalists, the day highlights the daily challenges they face, with increasing violations against media freedoms by the Israeli forces and Palestinian parties in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.