Ali Al Shihabi, a 57-year-old Palestinian writer and former UNRWA worker, was arrested on 17 December 2012 by the Military Intelligence's Palestine branch near Al Yarmouk Refugee Camp. It was not the first time that the man's fundamental right to liberty and security of person was breached by the Syrian authorities.

Iwad Al Hayki, a 33 year-old Yemeni national has been imprisoned in Al Qasim Prison since 18 October 2010, the day he was extradited by Qatar to the Saudi authorities. Detained incommunicado for almost a year in solitary confinement, he has been subjected to severe torture. To date, he has never been charged or tried.

The first and second hearings in the trial of the UAE94 were held on March 4th and 11th respectively, with international observers prevented access. Reports from the trial have raised alarm bells that fair trial norms are still not being respected. The UAE should allow international legal experts  to monitor the trial of the UAE94 and investigate the defendants' allegations of torture and mistreatment.

 

 

On Monday 11 March 2013, the second hearing of the UAE94 trial was held at the Supreme Federal Court, in Abu Dhabi.

On 11 March 2013, the UN Human Rights Council held an interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which presented its report as well as an oral update to the Council.

The Saudi authorities should immediately release Mohammad Al Qahtani and Abdullah Al Hamid, two Saudi human rights defenders and co-founders of the Saudi Association for civil and political rights (ACPRA). The two men were sentenced last Saturday to 10 and 11 years in prison on accusations including "breaking allegiance to the King", "disseminating false information through foreign entities" and "forming an unlicensed organization".

Alkarama firmly condemns the execution of the seven detainees at 8 this morning on a public place in Abha by firing squad. In a statement published today,  a group of UN independent experts "expressed outrage" at the execution "despite repeated calls to the Saudi authorities not to carry out the sentences by the UN and civil society organisations".

Seven young men, poor and unemployed, robbed jewellery stores in different places at different times, but all ended up in the same jail. This could be the beginning of one of the gangster movies or social-dramas to be rewarded at the Oscars this year. Quite an intriguing setting, if you consider that the story takes place in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It would have been banal, if it was just a story.

But the seven men have names, voices, faces and fears.

Abu Dhabi - Earlier today, a delegation of 20 international observers representing various international NGOs was denied access to the trial of 94 activists which was scheduled at 10:00 this morning at the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi.

Today, Alkarama submitted its report in view of the Universal Periodic Review of Saudi Arabia, which will take place in October 2013, alongside that of Jordan.