Culture In Syria, detention of Hassan Akkad raises alarm about free expression under Sharaa Akkad, a British-Syrian filmmaker, was detained Wednesday night after his campaign questioning the whereabouts of funds allegedly pledged for relief, reconstruction and community initiatives across Syria. Syria
Amnesty International accuses Israel of state-led ethnic cleansing in West Bank In a new report, Amnesty International said that the escalating forced displacement and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank is part of a state-led campaign to control the Palestinian territory. Palestine
Interview As Sudan war drags on, US-Iran conflict compounds humanitarian crisis in Darfur Save the Children US President and CEO Janti Soeripto said delivering aid in Sudan remains extremely difficult, with supply trucks often delayed for weeks or months even after entering the country. Janti Soeripto President and CEO of Save the Children US
Israel's Netanyahu suing New York Times over column on Palestinian rape Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's accusations of systematic sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners, calling the claims a "blood libel." United States
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Ehud Olmert Former Israeli prime minister
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
'Scores' of migrants burned to death from Houthi projectiles in Yemen: HRW Human Rights Watch accused Houthi security forces of firing "unidentified projectiles" into a migrant detention center earlier this month. Yemen
US, Western countries jointly condemn Egypt’s rights abuses Thirty-one member countries at the UN Human Rights Council issued a rare rebuke of Cairo's crackdown on peaceful dissent. Egypt
Tunisian LGBT activist imprisoned after reporting police harassment The concerns of civil society organizations and the international community have grown stronger regarding restrictions on personal freedoms after a Tunisian court ruled against LGBT rights activist Rania Amdouni. Tunisia
US hits Iranian officials with travel restriction over ‘gross human rights violations’ For the first time, the Biden administration targets alleged IRGC interrogators over inhumane detention of protesters. United States
British-Iranian aid worker released from house arrest in Iran, faces new trial Following the completion of her five-year prison sentence, Iranian authorities have charged Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with "spreading propaganda." Iran
At least 10 fuel porters, protesters killed in Iran's southeast: UN Last month, Iranian security forces reportedly fired on group of people transporting fuel across the Iranian border with Pakistan. Iran
Freedom House: Syria, Western Sahara worst in world for political rights The think tank also downgraded Jordan to "not free" in its 2021 democracy rankings. Jordan
Israeli leaders unite in slamming ICC prosecutor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin harshly condemned the decision by International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate Israel for alleged war crimes. Israel
