Alkarama strongly condemns the hateful comments against supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood made on 27 January 2016 by the Egyptian Minister of Justice, Ahmed Al Zind, commenting on the recent attacks in the Sinaï during a live interview at prime-time on Sada Al Balad TV.

Hassan Bouras was released on 18 January 2016 after spending the last three months in pretrial detention in El Bayadh prison in Western Algeria. This 48-year-old journalist and human rights defender was arrested at his home in El Bayadh on 2 October. His release follows the decision of the investigating judge to refer his case to the Criminal Court of El Bayadh.

Alkarama welcomes the decision, recently made public, of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to consider reviewing the accreditation of the Egyptian National Human Rights Council (

As a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Kuwait will be reviewed by the Human rights Committee (HRCtee) during its third review in July this year.

On 19 January 2016, the Court of flagrante offenses of Djibouti City condemned Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, publication co-director of the Aurore newspaper, to a two-month suspended prison sentence, while suspending the publication of this monthly newspaper also for two months.

On 12 January 2016, Kuwait's new Cyber Crime Law no. 63, which contains provisions that severely restrict freedom of expression on the internet, came into force. Several human rights NGOs criticised this law, as its broad definitions can be used to punish peaceful opposition and dissenting voices.

In its ruling issued on 16 December 2015, the Italian justice has, as expected, rejected the Algerian extradition request of Alkarama's Legal Director, Rachid Mesli. While noting that his activities as a human rights defender were "difficult to reconcile with those of a terrorist," the Court concluded that the Algerian accusations could as well be the result of "political persecution." As the Algerian government has not appealed this decision, Mesli is now free to travel in Italy.

Between 12 and 19 January 2016, Alkarama and Human Rights Guardians documented three cases of enforced disappearances that occurred in Syria between November 2011 and October 2013.

On 7 January 2016, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) arrested Orwa Al Sadig Ismail Hamdoun, a political activist affiliated to Sudan's main opposition party − the National Umma Party − and brother to Emad Al Sadig Ismail Hamdoun, arrested at the Omdurman headquarters of the National Umma Party on 14 December 2015.

On 15 January 2016, Alkarama submitted a report to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC-NHRI) on Bahrain's National Institution for Human Righ