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
Sudan outlaws female genital mutilation Sudan's criminalization of the practice done to a majority of young girls won praise and may reflect some change in attitudes. North Africa
Egypt forcibly disappears two women amid coronavirus crackdown: Rights group Marwa Arafa, 27, and Kholoud Said, 35, disappeared last week at the hands of Egyptian security services, Human Rights Watch said. Egypt
Egypt tightens sanctions for those who refuse to wear protective masks Egypt’s parliament approved a new bill that punishes citizens with imprisonment or a fine if they refuse to bury coronavirus victims or wear protective masks. Egypt
Saudi bid for English Premier League soccer team has support of fans, opposition of human rights advocates The reported effort by the state-run Saudi Public Investment Fund to buy the Newcastle United football club has prompted an opposition campaign by human rights organizations. Culture & Society
Iran unlikely to release women activists during pandemic The coronavirus outbreak is adding to the plight of imprisoned women’s rights defenders in Iran. Iran
How a German court is trying to bring Syrian war criminals to justice Because Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, victims of torture and abuse by the Syrian government are seeking justice in Germany and other countries. Syria
Saving Palestinian prisoners’ lives requires releasing the elderly and sick As Palestinians commemorate Prisoners' Day on April 17, the biggest demand appears to be how to safeguard prisoners from the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Palestine
Migrants in detention center go on hunger strike in fear of coronavirus Migrants in a Tunis detention center went on a hunger strike to protest bad conditions that aren't improving amid the coronavirus outbreak despite calls by rights organizations that prisoners be released. Tunisia
Calls for release of prisoners grow in Egypt despite arrest campaign Egyptian security forces launched a campaign of arrests against human rights activists, politicians and left-wing activists who had been calling for the release of prisoners in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Egypt
Jordan to launch doorstep food deliveries during round-the-clock lockdown Jordan extends its round-the-clock curfew indefinitely in an effort to combat the novel coronavirus. Jordan
Members of popular Turkish folk collective approach death on hunger strike Turkey's iconic Grup Yorum has not been able to perform since 2016 and a number of its members have been jailed on dubious terror charges. Turkey
Bahrain pardons hundreds of prisoners as coronavirus fears spread While authorities have attributed the release to humanitarian reasons, human rights groups link the decision to efforts to contain the outbreak. Bahrain
