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Hamzeh Bani-Issa, 30 year-old Jordanian teacher in primary school, has been detained for more than six months merely for his alleged political opinion. Accused of “membership to an unauthorised organisation”, on 12 June 2017, Jordan’s State Security Court (SSC) is to deliver its judgment on his case.

Arrested on 19 May 2017 for a Facebook post criticising corruption within the Jordanian government and charged with “defamation on social media”, Hussam Al Abdallat is at risk of being sentenced to prison terms for merely having exercised his right to freedom of expression.

Tarek Milad Mohamed Al Gadhafi, human rights defender and former Deputy Minister of Awqaf, was abducted on 30 May 2017 by members of the police intervention of Abu Salim, affiliated to the officially recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez El Sarraj. Al Gadhafi is disappeared since and his relatives, who have tried to inquire about his fate and whereabouts, are extremely concerned as the forces continue to deny his detention. They fear that he might be at risk of ill-treatment, torture or even execution. 

In April 2017, Abdessalam Al Bakkali was sentenced to death after a flawed trial by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) for alleged “terrorist acts”, for which he had already been sentenced by the US occupation forces and served his penalty.

As organizations working to protect the rights of children in armed conflict, we are dismayed by your reported decision to “freeze” any new additions of parties to conflict that commit grave violations of children’s rights to the annexes to your 2017 annual report to the United Nations Security Council on children and armed conflict. We urge you to reconsider, and issue an updated list with your report, including all perpetrators responsible for patterns of grave violations against children in 2016.

On 24 May 2017, prominent human rights defender and co-founder of the Union for Human Rights, Mohamed Al Otaibi, was arrested at Doha International Airport while on his way to Norway. On 28 May 2017, he was extradited from Qatar to Saudi Arabia. Al Otaibi had fled to Qatar in March 2017 to escape prosecution for his peaceful activism and seek political asylum in Norway, which had granted him travel documents to allow him to apply for refugee status upon arrival.

On 11 May 2017, the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established by the Human Rights Council (HRC), adopted a  report containing the recommendations made by United Nations Member States to Algeria during the State’s review which took place on 8 May 2017.

On 5 May 2017, the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established by the Human Rights Council (HRC), adopted a draft report containing the recommendations made by United Nations Member States to Morocco during the State’s review on 2 May 2017.

On 12 May 2017, Alkarama sent urgent appeals to the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression (SRFRDX) and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concerning the situation of the nine journalists prosecuted in the “Raba’a Operations Room” mass trial.