POMED Notes: “Turkey’s Troubled Politics: Rising Influence and Eroding Freedoms”

On Friday, April 26th, the Project on Middle East Democracy held an event titled “Turkey's Troubled Politics: Rising Influence and Eroding Freedoms.” It featured Howard Eissenstat, Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern History at St. Lawrence University, and Yigal Schleifer, an independent journalist, analyst, and author of The Turko-file. Susan Corke, Director for Eurasia Programs at Freedom House, moderated. For full event notes continue reading, or click here for a PDF. Susan Corke opened the ...

POMED Notes: “Human Rights and Rule of Law in Egypt’s Young Democracy”

The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a discussion titled "Human Rights and Rule of Law in Egypt’s Young Democracy" with Heba Morayef, Egypt Director for Human Rights Watch, and Mahmoud Salem, Egyptian political activist and founder of the blog “Rantings of a Sandmonkey.” Amy Hawthorne, incoming Senior Fellow at the Rafik Hariri Center, moderated the discussion, and Tarek Radwan, Associate Director for Research at the ...

Photo Credit: Reuters/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool

U.S. Announces Nonlethal Assistance to Syrian Opposition

Secretary of State John Kerry announced Thursday that the United States will provide $60 million in nonlethal assistance to the Syrian Opposition Coalition. The assistance will include food rations and medical supplies as well as training, but according ...

Photo Credit: Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images

Rights Groups, EU Officials Condemn Saudi Execution

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia executed Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan maid convicted of killing the infant she was caring for in 2005. Nafeek was 17 when the incident occurred, and she was tried and sentenced. She spoke no Arabic but ...

Photo Credit: Reuters

Syrian Situation Worsens, Jordanian and Lebanese Elections

United States Ambassador to Lebanon, Maura Connelly, met with Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the upcoming elections in Lebanon, which are currently scheduled for June 2013. Connelly said the U.S. supports "efforts to implement an ...

Photo Credit: Manu Brabo/ AP

Assad VP: Absolute Victory No Longer an Option

The U.S. Department of State called on both sides of the Syrian conflict to “stop unlawful attacks on civilians and comply with international law” on December 17. The call came after reports that a number of civilians had ...

Photo Credit: YouTube

Khatib Meets E.U. Officials as Civil War Spills into Lebanon

Syrian National Coalition President Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib met with European Union leaders, including E.U. Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton on December 10. The European Commission announced that it would provide 30 million euros in humanitarian aid to the Syrian ...

Photo Credit: AFP

Meshaal to Visit Gaza, Netanyahu Travels to Germany

Khaled Meshaal is due to make his first ever visit to the Gaza Strip. He will join celebrations for Hamas’s 25th anniversary and meet members of different Palestinian movements, "as well as representatives of the families of martyrs, prisoners and those ...

Photo Credit: The New York Times

U.N. Upgrades Palestinians Status to Nonmember State

The United Nations General Assembly approved the upgrade of Palestine to a nonmember observer state at the United Nations on Thursday, with 138 votes in favor, nine opposed, and 41 abstentions. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Weekly Wire – November 19th

POMED's Weekly Wire for November 19th is now available. In this week's edition we highlight these and other top stories: Jordanian Protests Surge, Protesters Face Charges Funds Pledged for European Endowment for Democracy Yemen’s National Dialogue Delayed Syrian Coalition Gains International Support New POMED Report Assesses Bahrain's BICI Progress To continue reading the full Weekly Wire, click here.

Photo Credit: New Europe

Funds Pledged for European Endowment for Democracy

The European Commission announced the allocation of six million euro for the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), an organization that was proposed in December of 2011. Poland, who spearheaded the launch, committed an ...

Photo Credit: Amnesty International

Iranian Activists Awarded Human Rights Prize

The European Union awarded its Sakharov Prize for Human Rights and Freedom of Thought to two Iranian activists on October 26. Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and filmmaker Jafar Panahi, both currently imprisoned by the Iranian regime, were awarded the ...

Photo Credit: Sabbah

Abbas Moves Ahead with UN Bid, Jordan’s King Gets Boost

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that his government is moving forward with plans to seek observer states at the United Nations next month, despite U.S. and Israeli resistance. In London, British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt met with chief ...

Lebanese politicians salute near coffins of Hassan and Sahyouni during an official ceremony in Ashrafiyeh

Worries of Power Vacuum Persist in Lebanon

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton warned of a political vacuum in Lebanon as opposition members called for the resignation of Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati, who they claim is too close to Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah. ...

Photo Credit: ISNA

EU-Iran Hold Talks on Nuclear Program

Earlier this week EU Foreign Affairs Representative Catherine Ashton held talks with Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator,Saeed Jalili, in Istanbul. The EU said the dialogue was "useful and constructive," while Mr. Jalili said they discussed "common points." U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland 

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Arab League Offers Assad Safe Exit

Intense fighting between government forces and the Free Syrian Army continued in Damascus and Aleppo today. Syrian troops reportedly regained control over areas of Damascus taken by rebels last week, who have recently taken over several ...

POMED Notes: “Tunisia in Transition: What Role for the International Community?”

On Sunday, July 8, 2012, POMED and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in partnership with the Tunisian organization Afkar, held a one-day conference in Tunis entitled “Tunisia in Transition: What Role for the International Community?” The event examined critical issues surrounding U.S. and European assistance and policy approaches to support democracy and governance programs in Tunisia, and also explored some of the broader socio-economic challenges facing the country today. As Tunisians focus ...

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Upcoming POMED Event in Tunis – Sunday, July 8th

POMED and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in partnership with the Tunisian organization Afkar, are pleased to announce a one-day conference in Tunis on Sunday, July 8th. The event will examine critical issues surrounding U.S. and European assistance to support democracy and ...

Photo Credit: Associated Press

EU Pressures Russia Over Syrian Crisis

European Union officials are meeting with Vladimir Putin today, and are expected to press the newly elected Russian president to take a stronger stance on the crisis in Syria.  Russia has refused to take stronger action against Damascus by using its veto powers ...

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Assad, Annan Talk to Salvage Ceasefire

According to Al Jazeera,  joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has held talks with Bashar al-Assad after the UN human rights office declared that more than 85 people who were killed in the Houla region were "summarily executed".  Annan "conveyed in frank terms ...

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