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Analysts: Algeria “Teetering on the Brink of a Crisis”

Algeria and its president Abdelaziz Bouteflika have weathered the storm of Arab Spring revolutions that toppled governments in many surrounding countries. The Atlantic Council's Karim Mezran writes, however, that the country "may be teetering on the brink of a crisis, with the ...

POMED Notes: “Building a Brighter Future in Syria”

On Friday, May 17, Freedom House hosted a panel discussion titled “Building a Brighter Future in Syria.” Panelists included Kinda Kanbar, a Syrian journalist; Mohammed Aly Sergie, Senior Editor at Syria Deeply; Omar Hossino, a Syria analyst; and Oubab Khalil, Chief of Staff for the National Coalition of Syrian Opposition Forces. Daniel Calingaert, Freedom House Executive Vice President, moderated the discussion. For the full event notes continue reading or click here for ...

Photo Credit: Hamad I Mohammed/Courtesy Reuters

Home of Top Shia Cleric Raided in Bahrain

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 ...

Upcoming Event: Iran’s Presidential Election and U.S. Policy

Join POMED for our upcoming event, "Iran's Presidential Election and U.S. Policy," on Friday, May 24 from 10-11:30am at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Choate Room. The panel will include Nazila Fathi, former NYT Tehran correspondent; Ambassador John Limbert, former Deputy Secretary of State for Iran;  Mariam Memarsadeghi of Tavaana E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society; and Stephen McInerney, executive director of POMED. Click here to RSVP, and see below for ...

POMED Notes: “The Rise of Islamism: Its Impact on Religious Minorities”

On Wednesday, May 15, the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom held a panel titled, “The Rise of Islamism: Its Impact on Religious Minorities” to discuss Islamist radicalization in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Panelists included former Pakistani parliamentarian Farahnaz Ispahi; Professor of Iranian, Central Eurasian, and Islamic Studies at Indiana University Jamsheed Choksy; and Executive Director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism Stephen Schwartz. Nina Shea, Hudson ...

POMED Notes – “U.S. Policy Toward Iran”

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing titled "U.S. Policy Toward Iran." Wendy Sherman, State Department Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and David Cohen, Treasury Department Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, testified. Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided. For full event notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. In Chairman Menendez's opening statement, he said the United States needs to "double ...

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Blogger Escapes from Bahrain, Government Responds

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 ...

POMED Notes: “Human Rights in Tunisia’s Transition: A View from the Field”

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a panel discussion on the role of human rights in Tunisia’s constitution-writing process titled “Human Rights in Tunisia’s Transition: A View from the Field” featuring Amel Azzouz, a deputy in Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly from the Ennahda party; Amna Guellali, Human Rights Watch Tunisia Researcher; Stephen McInerney, Executive Director of POMED; and Joyce Kasee, ...

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Additional Demands from Libyan Militias; U.S. Responds

The political stand-off in Libya's capital continued after armed militias, who were demanding passage of a political isolation law, refused to leave their posts after the law was passed by parliament. Instead, after having their demands met, the militias formed an ...

Photo Credit: George Ourfalian/Reuters

Sen. Menendez Proposes “Syrian Stabilization Act”

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would significantly increase the U.S.'s involvement in the Syrian conflict. The Syria Stabilization Act of 2013 has five components: the authority to provide weapons, training, and non-lethal supplies to ...

POMED Notes: “Amidst Iraq’s Turmoil: What Can We Do?”

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a panel discussion titled "Amidst Iraq's Turmoil: What Can We Do?" The event featured Ambassador James Jeffrey, the Philip Solondz Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Daniel Serwer, Senior Research Professor of Conflict Management at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Mike Pillinger, Chief of Mission in Iraq for the International Organization for Migration; and ...

Video of the Day: Iran’s Pre-Election Crackdown on Journalists

This video from the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran examines the crackdown on journalists leading up to Iran's June elections. 

Photo Credit: Reuters/Haider Ala

Iraqi Kurds End Boycott, Rights Defender Assassinated

On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Alliance announced that its ministers and members of parliament would resume participation in Iraq's government. The State Department's Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said that the U.S. urges "all parties to build on this ...

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U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Report

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 ...

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Freedom House: Press Freedom Declined in MENA, Globally

Freedom House released its annual report on freedom of the press around the world in 2012. The report identified a global decline, asserting that "the percentage of people worldwide who enjoy a free media environment fell to its ...

POMED Video of the Day: Michele Dunne, Tamara Wittes on Egypt

In an interview with Egyptian channel CBC, Michelle Dunne, Director of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Tamara Wittes, Director of the Brookings' Saban Center for the Middle East discuss the current situation in Egypt. Topics of focus include U.S. policy towards Egypt, the Egyptian opposition, and ongoing negotiations between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund.

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool

Secretary Kerry Meets with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister

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 ...

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State Department Human Rights Country Reports: Syria

The State Department's 2012 Human Rights Report on Syria noted a number of human rights problems, the most significant of which were "the regime’s massive, countrywide attacks and strategic use of citizen killings to intimidate and control; specific ...

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State Department Human Rights Country Report: Saudi Arabia

The State Department's 2012 report on human rights practices in Saudi Arabia cited the leading problems as "citizens’ lack of the right and legal means to change their government; pervasive restrictions on universal rights such as freedom of expression, ...

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State Department Human Rights Country Report: Israel/Occupied Territories

The State Department's annual human rights report on Israel and the occupied territories focused their findings on Israel and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and had an annex to the report for their findings on the occupied territories including areas subject to ...

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