U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Oman on Tuesday to help finalize a $2.1 billion defense pact. In a joint statement, the U.S. and the Government of Oman announced "a deal for the acquisition of a U.S. manufactured ...

Bahraini authorities raided the home of a prominent Shia cleric, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim on Friday. Opposition group al-Wefaq said Qassim was not home at the time of the raid but there were women and children present. A leading human rights activist ...

Bahraini blogger and free-speech advocate Ali Abdulemam recently escaped from the Kingdom of Bahrain after more than two years in hiding. A team of people and outside supporters, including artist Tyler Ramsey and human rights groups Amnesty International and the American ...

Bahraini lawmakers are urging their government to stop the U.S. ambassador from "interfering in domestic affairs," and attending "repeated meetings with those who inspire sedition." The government has agreed to the proposal and said they would take diplomatic measures, but ...

In April, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued its annual report covering February 2012 through January 2013. From the MENA region, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia were listed as "Countries of Particular Concern" and Bahrain and Turkey were ...

On Tuesday, Bahrain's foreign ministry and members of its parliament rejected the U.S. Department of State's 2012 report on human rights practices in the country, released on April 19th. The foreign ministry stated that "the report lacks objectivity ...

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa Monday morning to discuss Bahrain's reform process and regional issues including Syria and the peace process. State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said ...

In a statement, United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture Juan E. Méndez expressed "deep disappointment" that the Government of Bahrain decided to cancel his visit scheduled to take place May 8-15. The Bahrain News Agency originally reported ...

The annual State Department country report on human rights practices in Bahrain detailed heavy-handed repression in 2012 and reports that the government maintains a system of extra-judicial detention facilities where torture routinely occurs. The most serious human rights problems ...

The State Department released the 2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. These reports provide detailed assessments of the status of human rights around the world. Uzra Zeya, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,

On Monday, Ceartas (Irish Lawyers for Human Rights) submitted a formal complaint to the President of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), James Hamilton, calling for the expulsion of Bahrain from the association. Bahrain’s Attorney General, Dr. Ali bin Fadhel al-Buainain, ...

Nicholas McGeehan of Human Rights Watch called on President Obama to pressure the United Arab Emirates to make genuine human rights reforms. In his op-ed for The Huffington Post, McGeehan describes instances in recent years in which former ...

Former Formula One world champion Damon Hill argued that the Grand Prix, which will be held in Manama later this month, should not go ahead. "I would not want to go to Bahrain if people are going to be ...

A group of NGOs sent a letter regarding human rights abuses in Bahrain to racers participating in the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix in the country. The letter outlines the protest movement in Bahrain and the government's response to the protests. ...

In a Tuesday television interview, Saudi billionaire prince Alwaleed bin Talal called for parliamentary elections. He said that the decision to add women to the Shura Council was "very important," but added, "For this to become historic, I think ...

According to the lawyer of a number of Bahraini medical professionals, 21 individuals originally charged with links to anti-government activities have been acquitted.  According to BBC, most of the 28 other medics that had also been

Ten members of Congress have signed a letter to Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Bahrain's Ambassador to the United States, expressing concern over the termination of Jalila al-Salman from her teaching position. The letter details the circumstances of al-Salman's termination, which occurred ...

Imprisoned Bahraini human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja wrote to the international media describing prison conditions and the sources of her continued strength. Zainab and her father Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is also in prison, recently began dry hunger strikes after being refused family ...