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
Biden’s national security adviser criticizes Saudi Arabia for jailing women’s rights activist Jake Sullivan called the sentencing of activist Loujain al-Hathloul "troubling." Saudi Arabia
Erdogan blasts European court's ruling on jailed Kurdish leader The European Court of Human Rights said the imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtas had violated his basic rights. Turkey
Europe human rights court calls on Turkey to release Demirtas Europe’s top human rights court ruled Wednesday for the "immediate release" of Selahattin Demirtas, former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who has been imprisoned for more than four years in Turkey on terror-related charges. Turkey
Turkish court extends detention of philanthropist Osman Kavala Kavala is charged with espionage and "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” in connection with the failed 2016 coup. Turkey
Iran to execute man arrested as teenager, Amnesty says Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee, who was arrested at the age of 16, has spent more than a decade on death row. Iran
Saudi Arabia seeking 20-year sentence for jailed women’s activist Loujain al-Hathloul's sister said the state prosecutor is seeking the maximum sentence in a trial rights groups say is grossly unfair. Saudi Arabia
Migrants allege abuse, degrading conditions in Saudi deportation center A new report from Human Rights Watch describes squalid conditions at a facility detaining mostly Ethiopian migrants in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s Rouhani dismisses outcry over journalist’s execution Iran hanged journalist and blogger Ruhollah Zam on Saturday after a court found him guilty of "corruption on earth." Iran
Egypt's Sisi readies for chillier reception in Washington Experts say mixed signals on the part of President Sisi suggest nervousness about the incoming Biden administration. Egypt
Amnesty blasts Airbnb for settlement listings as company goes public The London-based rights group called on Airbnb to unlist around 200 rental properties in the West Bank. Israel
Saudi court hands Saudi-American doctor Walid al-Fitaihi 6-year sentence The Harvard-trained doctor is reported to have been sentenced over tweeting his support for the 2011 Arab Spring protests and for obtaining US citizenship. Saudi Arabia
France won’t condition weapons sales to Egypt on human rights, Macron says French President Emmanuel Macron also said he spoke "frankly" about human rights with his Egyptian counterpart. Egypt
