Omani writer and blogger, Muawiya Alrawahi was released on 11 August after a month of detention including 28 days in the psychiatric department of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Arrested on 12 July 2014 for criticizing the Omani authorities on his blog, Alrawahi was transferred to the hospital where he remained under the custody of police officers.

On 30 July 2014, Alkarama wrote to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to bring to its attention the cases of Tarek Mostafa Marei and Abdel Karim Al Mustafa, two Lebanese citizens sentenced on 6 August 2013 to 15 years in prison after a trial marred with serious violations.

Alkarama and Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly wrote to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances to ask for the immediate release of Abbas Fadhil Abboud Kadhim Al Batawi, disappeared since his arrest by a pro-government militia almost eight years ago. Although the 20-year old Iraqi student was seen on a video footage in 2007, the authorities continue to deny his detention.

Geneva, August 5, 2014

Madame High Commissioner,

Alkarama deplores that since the launch of the 'Operation Protective Edge', over 1700 Palestinians have been killed, over 70% of which are civilians, of whom 377 are children and 196 are women, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. On the other hand, 67 Israeli were killed, including 64 soldiers, and unfortunately three civilians.

Noah Al Saadi, a 32-year-old Human Rights Defender has been released today by the Omani Police. He was arrested on 13 July 2014 by the Special Security Police Division forces and had been detained incommunicado since. It goes without doubt that these unlawful arrest and detention constituted retaliation for his work in monitoring human rights abuses and speaking up for other human rights activists as well as political prisoners in Oman.

On 6 August 2014, Alkarama called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay to ask the United Nations Security Council to refer the war crimes committed in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On 17 July 2014, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression to call on the Moroccan authorities to cease all acts of judicial and administrative harassment against Mahmoud El Haissan immediately. Saharawi channel Rasd TV journalist, El Haissan was arrested on 4 July and arbitrarily detained in the local prison of Al Akhal in El Aaiun.

The Saudi Supreme Court has just overturned a ruling sentencing a Saudi national to the death penalty. In a tweet sent from his official twitter page this morning, Mabrook Al Sai'ari thanked Alkarama, without which his sentence would have been executed on 8 September 2013.

On 8 July 2014, Alkarama and Al Wissam Humanitarian Assembly requested the intervention of the UN Working  Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, with the Iraqi authorities to release Mustafa Jassim Kazem Al Rubaie immediately or at least to put him under the protection of the law. Arrested by the Iraqi authorities on 26 June 2006, the 24-year old Iraqi student was last seen on a video footage of a prison in Baghdad in February 2011, but the authorities continue to deny his detention.

On 8 July 2014, Alkarama wrote to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories to call upon the Israeli authorities to investigate the arbitrary execution of 17-year old Palestinian, Zakariah Jamal Abu Arram.