GCHR’s activities during the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council We highlighted shrinking civic space, transnational repression, restrictions on freedom of expression, the use of the death penalty, torture & arbitrary executions across MENA gc4hr.org/gchrs-activi...

#Kuwait: Authorities mobilise resources to silence prominent blogger Mansoor Al-Muhareb #الكويت: السلطات تسخر كل مواردها من أجل إسكات المدون البارز منصور المحارب gc4hr.org/authorities-...

❌ Censorship by detention is becoming one of the biggest threats against human rights. Worldwide. When HRDs are detained, fear spreads beyond the prison walls. It affects their families, organisations, and communities. 🔗 Read the report: bit.ly/4oPQ38y

Read @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social's new report documenting how transnational repression (TNR) across the MENA region is being used to target human rights defenders (HRDs), journalists, writers, academics and others⬇️ www.gc4hr.org/pursued-beyo...

#Saudi Arabia: Online posting on unemployment and disparity of income between foreigners and Saudis elicits a wave of arrests 49 Saudi citizens were questioned for allegedly committing 68 violations on social media gc4hr.org/online-posti...

#Bahrain: Authorities commit grave human rights abuses that have dragged the country back to the Dark Ages The authorities exploited the war that erupted in late February 2026 to launch a wide-ranging and ongoing series of human rights violations gc4hr.org/authorities-...

GCHR’s periodic report on human rights violations in the #Iraqi #Kurdistan Region The local government continues to commit serious violations of the civil and human rights of citizens, including civil society activists, journalists, and protesters gc4hr.org/gchrs-period...

Pursued Beyond Borders: Patterns of Transnational Repression Linked to States in the Middle East and North Africa A new report by @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social draws on 20+ cases in the #UAE #Saudi_Arabia #Kuwait #Bahrain #Egypt #Jordan and #Algeria gc4hr.org/pursued-beyo...

#Bahrain: Environmentalist Mohammed Jawad Hameed remains in prison two months after his arrest for social media post On 16 June 2026, the general prosecution renewed the detention of Jawad www.gc4hr.org/mohammed-jaw...

#Oman: New Cybercrime Law more repressive than previous one On 01 June 2026, the new Cybercrime Law 61/2026 was issued, which imposes severe restrictions on online freedom of expression and includes unjustifiably harsh penalties gc4hr.org/new-cybercri...

URGENT ACTION‼️ #Tunisia: Join the call to free journalist Zied El-Heni El-Heni, who is currently serving a one-year prison sentence, awaits an appeals hearing on 12 June 2026 gc4hr.org/actions/join...

#Oman: Authorities continue to violate civil & human rights of former detainee Abdullah Al-Shamsi #عُمان: السلطات تستمر في انتهاك الحقوق المدنية والإنسانية للمعتقل السابق عبدالله الشامسي gc4hr.org/authorities-...

#Kuwait: Citizens denied right to elect Representatives to Municipal Coucil On 24 May 2026, the Emir issued a decree which transformed the Municipal Council from a mixed system combining election and appointment to one of appointment only gc4hr.org/citizens-den...

Update: All the international Global Sumud Flotilla activists were deported by Israeli authorities to Türkiye on 21 May 2026. Many participants had broken bones & wounds, & some reported sexual assault @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social calls for an investigation into the abuse @freedomflotilla.bsky.social

GCHR stands in solidarity with detained human rights defenders of Global Sumud Flotilla Among 428 activists detained by Israeli authorities are human rights defenders from Oman, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt & Jordan @freedomflotilla.bsky.social www.gc4hr.org/gchr-stands-...

Joint appeal: Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in #Saudi Arabia and the #UAE @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social joins @alqst.bsky.social @accessnow.org among 12 NGOs calling on Meta to uphold its human rights responsibilities www.gc4hr.org/meta-blocks-...

#Kuwait/US: Meta permanently disables Instagram account of journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social calls on Meta to rescind this unfair decision immediately and unconditionally @accessnow.org gc4hr.org/meta-permane...

URGENT ACTION ‼️ #Yemen: Human rights lawyer Abdulmajeed Sabra must be released On 15 September 2025, an armed group affiliated with the Houthi group arrested him after storming his office in Sana'a Read the full appeal online and circulate it! #Freedom_For_Abdulmajeed_Sabra gc4hr.org/actions/huma...

#Kuwait: Citizenship as a political weapon; Kuwaiti citizenship revoked from family of political dissident Fawaz Al-Kathiri gc4hr.org/kuwaiti-citi...

#Qatar 🇶🇦 The state security apparatus operates with zero judicial oversight. Activists, lawyers & journalists face detention and travel bans for simply expressing an opinion online. Gulf Centre for Human Rights documents the full picture. @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is proud to be a member of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition. Please read the 2025 Annual Report to see all the great work accomplished by the Coalition!

#Tunisia: Journalist Zied El-Heni on trial in clear violation of freedom of expression @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social calls for his immediate release & charges to be dropped at verdict on 7 May @ifex.org www.gc4hr.org/journalist-z...

🌍 Members and partners of IFEX and the @gfmd.info strongly condemn the Zambian government's last-minute cancellation of RightsCon 2026, a decision driven by Chinese pressure over the participation of Taiwanese delegates. Read the statement: buff.ly/2Y6Scvw

#Qatar: Grave human rights violations continue @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social expresses deep concern about systematic repressive policies pursued by Qatari authorities against citizens, including activists, who peacefully & civilly express their opinions on public affairs gc4hr.org/grave-human-...

مقتل 8 صحفيين في #لبنان نتيجة غارات إسرائيلية في عام 2026 يدعو مركز الخليج لحقوق الإنسان إلى إجراء تحقيقٍ في مقتل الصحفيين الذين قُتلوا دون أي عقاب في #لبنان #اليوم_العالمي_لحرية_الصحافة @ifex.org gc4hr.org/ar/8-journal...

On #WorldPressFreedomDay we remember the 8 journalists killed by #Israeli strikes in #Lebanon in 2026 with total impunity @ifex.org @ifjglobal.bsky.social @dawnmenaorg.bsky.social @civicusalliance.bsky.social @rsf.org gc4hr.org/8-journalist... @ifex.org

#Lebanon: 8 journalists killed by Israeli strikes in 2026 As we approach World Press Freedom Day on 03 May 2026 @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social calls for an investigation into the killing of journalists among many other civilians killed with total impunity in Lebanon gc4hr.org/8-journalist...

Jordanian Intelligence targets students and graduates of University of #Jordan Dozens of student activists and graduates were summoned and subjected to ill-treatment, abuse, severe beatings, and threats against their families gc4hr.org/jordanian-in...

#Tunisia: Full Solidarity with the Tunisian League for Human Rights On 24 April 2025, the authorities in Tunisia decided to suspend the activities of LTDH for one month, without providing any explanation or reasons for this unjust decision. gc4hr.org/full-solidar...

#Kuwait: Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin leaves after being acquitted of charges He had been arrested on 03 March 2026, while visiting his family, due to his social media posts, and held in arbitrary detention for 52 days gc4hr.org/journalist-a...

GCHR thanks Mary Lawlor for her work & welcomes new UN SR on Human Rights Defenders Andrea Bolaños Vargas GCHR Executive Director Khalid Ibrahim thanked "Mary Lawlor as she departs her mandate, during which she exerted exceptional efforts" @marylawlorhrds.bsky.social gc4hr.org/gchr-thanks-...

#Oman: Sad loss of dear colleague, writer Nabhan Al-Hanshi @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social mourns with deep sorrow the passing of Nabhan Al-Hanshi, 45, prominent Omani writer & human rights defender, well-known in Arab region’s human rights community, who died on 18 April www.gc4hr.org/sad-loss-of-...

#MENA 🌍 In its annual report, @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social warns repression is intensifying across the region, with activists and journalists increasingly targeted.

#Syria: Authorities must protect the right to peaceful assembly for all citizens A peaceful protest on 17 April was attacked by a group of pro-government individuals gc4hr.org/authorities-...

#Bahrain 🇧🇭 Environmental activist and artist Mohammed Jawad Hameed has been detained and held incommunicado, amid a wider campaign targeting activists and online expression. @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social

#Iraq: GCHR’s 37th Periodic Report on Human Rights Violations in Iraq The 37th periodic report includes numerous targeted attacks against professionals, journalists and activists, as well as arbitrary arrests and civil society violations, over the past 5 months gc4hr.org/gchrs-37th-p...

Joint Action❗️ #SaudiArabia: NGOs call for immediate release of ​Saudi Wikipedian Osama Khalid, whose 14-year sentence was upheld recently @alqst.bsky.social @accessnow.org @dawnmenaorg.bsky.social @eff.org gc4hr.org/actions/ngos...

Joint Action: #Bahrain: Call for freedom for environmental activist and artist Mohammed Jawad Hameed @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social & Bahrain Center for Human Rights call on Bahrain to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, including Mohammed gc4hr.org/actions/call...

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the unjust arrest in 2011 of Danish-Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, GCHR's co-founder, for demanding basic human rights and democratic change in #Bahrain We continue to call on Bahrain to #FreeAlKhawaja #Not15Years @maryamalkhawaja.bsky.social

Today is the 65th birthday of our dear friend & colleague Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, co-founder of @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social & Bahrain Centre for Human Rights who's spent 15 years in prison for his activism. We call on #Bahrain authorities to #FreeAlKhawaja #Not15Years @maryamalkhawaja.bsky.social

#MENA 🌍 @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social’s latest annual report documents continued crackdowns on journalists, activists, and civil society, alongside the growing use of laws to restrict free expression.

The #Gulf region and neighbouring countries: Ongoing repression by authorities The war is being used as a pretext to stifle free speech and target journalists, bloggers and online activists #Bahrain #Jordan #Kuwait #Oman #Qatar #UAE gc4hr.org/the-gulf-reg... @marylawlorhrds.bsky.social

GCHR’s Annual Report published amid war and deterioration of freedom “Most governments in the region continue to pursue systematic repressive policies, prioritising the suppression of citizens' public freedoms,” said GCHR Executive Director @khalidibrahim.bsky.social gc4hr.org/gchrs-annual...

#MENA 🌍 Women human rights defenders face a heavy psychological toll from repression, threats, and online harassment, a new @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social report finds, calling for stronger protections and mental health support.

#Tunisia 🇹🇳 Arrests, prosecutions, and restrictive laws are increasingly used to target journalists, activists, and critics. @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social examines what this means for freedom of expression and the rule of law.

As we mark #Eid, we call on #Denmark & #EU to evacuate our founder Danish-Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, at risk of attack in Jau prison during wartime. We're disappointed that #Bahrain authorities did not #FreeAlKhawaja & other human rights defenders on Eid

Peaceful human rights defender #AhmedMansoor was arrested 9 years ago. 9 years in an isolation cell. #UAE #MBZ pardon #AhmedMansoor #UAE84 for #Eid-al-Fitr ! #UK #HaveCourage and join our call! @houseofcommons.parliament.uk @unhrc.bsky.social

Today, 20 March, is the 9th anniversary of Ahmed Mansoor's arrest in #UAE for his human rights activities. On #Eid, we call on the authorities to #FreeAhmed, our dear board member serving 25 years in prison gc4hr.org/defenders/ah... @friendsofahmed.bsky.social @civicusalliance.bsky.social @hrw.org

The Gulf region and neighbouring countries: Authorities exercising more repression and silencing free voices, exploiting current war #Bahrain #Jordan #Kuwait #UAE #Iran gc4hr.org/the-gulf-reg...

Today, 17 March, marks 15 years since human rights activist Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace was arrested during pro-democracy protests in #Bahrain & sentenced to life in prison. @gulfcentre4hr.bsky.social @englishpen.bsky.social & 17 NGOs call on authorities to #FreeAlSingace englishpen.org/posts/campai...