The Kuwaiti government ran an amnesty scheme for “illegal immigrants” from 17 March 2024 to 30 June 2024, which was extended from the initial deadline of 17 June. This grace period was intended to give those illegally in the country the time to either pay the penalties and regularize their status or leave the country indefinitely. Unfortunately, the supposedly forgiving nature of the state ended abruptly with the end of the scheme. On Monday 1 July, merely a day after the end of the amnesty, 450 immigrants without the necessary visa were rounded up to be deported. This marked the start of the ..read more

With the global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), countries have increasingly adopted regulations to restrict the use of this new technology, exemplified by the AI Act in the European Union. In contrast, Gulf governments have taken a more business-friendly approach to AI regulation, raising concerns about potential breaches of their populations’ privacy rights. Notably, Saudi Arabia has sought to create an attractive environment for data and AI businesses and has so far avoided implementing binding regulations. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in AI as part of its Vision 2030 initiative a ..read more

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an important tool to keep states accountable, combat impunity for human rights violations, and promote open dialogue on human rights issues. Nevertheless, states such as Saudi Arabia notoriously do not follow through on their promises to implement recommendations, a fact that many at Saudi Arabia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review consideration meeting emphasized. This meeting was held on Thursday 4 July 2024, as part of the Human Rights Council’s 56th regular session. The meeting ended with the unanimous adoption of the outcome of the UPR of Saudi Arabia ..read more

ADHRB is expressing its deep concerns about the recent reports of escalating human rights violations that are occurring at Jau Prison in Bahrain. The new escalation of cutting off electricity and water on extremely hot summer days to protesting  prisoners  while denying them medical care,  is the newest form of retaliation by prison officials and is extremely worrisome. ADHRB holds the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and his government responsible for these dangerous events. We also hold Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior and the Jau Prison administration accountable for ..read more

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a significant player on the African continent, leveraging its economic and strategic initiatives to deepen its influence, involving investments in infrastructure, ports, and telecommunications, alongside military engagements and political alliances. However, UAE’s presence is not without controversy, particularly regarding allegations of neo-colonialism and human rights abuses, which cast a shadow over its intentions. The UAE’s strategic foray into Africa is primarily linked to its economic ambitions and geopolitical aspirations. With the vision of ..read more

Sadeq Jaafar Ali (AlSammak) was a 16-year-old Bahraini student from the town of Al Aali when he was arrested by Bahraini authorities on 5 October 2017, while he was on his way to school. The arrest was carried out without a warrant. During his detention, he endured torture, insults, solitary confinement, enforced disappearance, isolation, denial of family contact and visits, denial of access to his lawyer, unfair trials, religious discrimination, reprisals, and medical neglect. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence in Jau Prison. On the morning of 5 October 2017, Sadeq was walking to scho ..read more

The right to nationality is a human right that cannot be disputed. Despite this, Kuwait uses punitive citizenship revocations as a tool for repression. The 1959 Kuwaiti Nationality Law broadly legislates that the state has discretionary powers to withdraw citizenship. This law has been used to arbitrarily revoke the citizenships of dissidents and ethnic minorities to marginalize political opponents, demonstrating an abuse of it. The problem lies therein as the Kuwaiti law is not in line with Article 15 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which clearly states that “no one shall b ..read more

The recent forced labor complaint against the Saudi Arabian government by the Building and Wood Workers’ International Union (BWI) underscores significant concerns about the treatment of migrant workers under the country’s Vision 2030 plan. This action by the BWI, representing 12 million members, serves as a stark warning to Saudi authorities, businesses, and investors about the predictable and preventable migrant labor abuses that mar the Kingdom’s ambitious economic blueprint. Filed on June 5th, 2024, under Article 24 of the ILO constitution, the complaint highlights the exploitative living ..read more

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently launched an extensive campaign to silence opposition, marked by a stark disregard for justice and human rights. This crackdown includes a series of arrests, summonses, and deportations targeting individuals who criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza, blatantly violating the right to freedom of speech. This disturbing trend continues the UAE’s long-standing restrictions on freedoms, which have only intensified in recent months. Since formalizing relations with Israel in 2020, the UAE has increasingly stifled anti-normalization sentiments and critical voic ..read more

Updated: Hasan Moosa Jaafar Ali was a 16-year-old Bahraini student with learning disabilities when he was arrested for the first time without a warrant on 23 September 2013. During his detention, he endured torture, enforced disappearance, solitary confinement, denial of attorney access, isolation, reprisals, religious discrimination, and medical neglect. He was sentenced to a total of 32 years imprisonment through a series of unfair trials, including the “Bahraini Hezbollah” case. Hasan is currently imprisoned at Jau Prison. On 18 September 2020, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary ..read more