Food security is described by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) as ‘’ all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. In addition, food security is structured in four pillars, namely: 1) Availability (people having consistent sources of food), 2) Access (people have sufficient resources to purchase food), 3) Stability (people can access food that remains at a stable price during time) 4) Utilization  (people know how to distribute food). Currently ..read more

In recent months, Bahrain has witnessed a distressing wave of arrests and suppression of pro-Palestine activism, prompting concerns over human rights violations and freedom of expression in the country. Reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) have highlighted a disturbing trend where Bahraini authorities targeted individuals participating in pro-Palestine protests, including minors and online advocates. These protests emerged in response to the dire situation in Gaza, aggravated by Israel’s actions, which led to a humanitarian crisis. The numbers are alarming. As of December 15, at least 57 indi ..read more

Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights defender in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has faced relentless persecution due to his unwavering advocacy for human rights. His case stands as a distressing emblem of the struggles faced by activists in the UAE, shedding light on the challenges of championing fundamental rights in the region. Mansoor’s arrest in March 2017, rooted in his social media activities, underscored the UAE’s intolerance towards dissenting voices. His imprisonment for speaking out against human rights abuses echoes the plight of many silenced activists in the country. Despite h ..read more

On the 31st of October, FIFA announced that Saudi Arabia had become the sole bidder of the 2034 World Cup. The decision certainly does not come as a surprise. FIFA has regularly been criticized for bribery scandals and its nonchalance in sponsoring World Cups in states with poor human rights standards (Russia, China, Qatar). Nonetheless, the most authoritative football federation’s official stance is to ensure complete respect for human rights in the preparation process for the World Cup. Arguably, it does so by referring to Article 7 of the FIFA Human Rights Policy and underlining its adheren ..read more

On the 21st of August, 2023, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on the mass killings of Ethiopians at the Yemen-Saudi border. The research indicates that the indiscriminate use of force by Saudi authorities started in March 2022 and is still ongoing. This crisis is of the utmost importance as, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), tens of thousands of people use this route to travel from the Horn of Africa. The perils for Ethiopian migrants start at the sea crossing. BBC reports that 24 migrants have been missing in only one week after a shipwrecking. Howeve ..read more

On 22 November 2022, Mohammed al-Qahtani had to be released after the ten years of questionable sentence he received. However, since October 2022, Saudi Arabian authorities have refused to give information about him despite the expiration of his sentence. The refusal of Saudi authorities to release him makes this a case of enforced disappearance for which Saudi Arabia has been called responsible at different times. Al-Qahtani is a human rights defender and co-founder of the dismantled Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). The association’s objective was to promote the developme ..read more

News that President Biden is traveling to the Gulf region this month to meet with the rulers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a betrayal of his promise to put “human rights at the center of our foreign policy, of the pro-democracy activists and journalists who have been imprisoned by the dictators of these countries, and of all the people who have died in defense of democracy. After months of quiet diplomacy to ease tensions between the US and Saudi Arabia in order to persuade the Kingdom to increase its global oil production and overset surging p ..read more

Two Irish deputies brought the urgent death row case of Jaafar Mohamed Sultan and Sadeq Majeed Thamer to the attention of the Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney on the 1st of June 2022. These two Bahraini men are on death row in Saudi Arabia, having exhausted all legal remedies and are at risk of imminent execution despite a grossly unfair legal process and allegations of torture. Paul Murphy TD of People before Profit and Catherine Connolly TD, an Independent, raised this case with Minister Coveney, asking if he will make a statement on the matter.   In a written statement, Minister C ..read more

The founding principles of the European Union (EU) are “human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” In 2012, the EU adopted its strategic framework on Human rights and Democracy, this has resulted in a more coordinated and effective engagement with and in third countries. The framework defines the principles, objectives, and priorities for improving the effectiveness and consistency of EU policy. This includes the mainstreaming of human rights into all EU policies as a “silver thread,” and ..read more

The National Institute for Human Rights (NIHR) is portrayed as an independent entity charged with promoting and protecting human rights in Bahrain. However, the NIHR consistently demonstrates its involvement in concealing human rights abuses committed by the Bahraini authorities, and its role in further reinforcing the culture of impunity. Political prisoners, human rights defenders, activists, and opponents of the government continue to be systematically targeted by Bahraini authorities in an attempt to silence all dissidence in the country. In response, the NIHR releases statements asserting ..read more