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
Egyptian activists arrested as Cairo cracks down on critics Egyptian authorities arrested activists and lawyers in predawn raids June 25, claiming the men were part of a Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy to stoke violence against the state. Egypt
Morocco's been busy muzzling anti-regime voices this year Morocco has stepped up its campaign against political and civil activists, raising concerns among local and international rights organizations. Morocco
Brotherhood seeks international pressure to prosecute army leaders The Muslim Brotherhood is redoubling its effort for the prosecution of high-ranking military officers involved in the 2013 deaths of protesters and to abolish a law granting immunity to military leaders. Egypt
Gezi Park detainees to finally get day in court The Gezi trials, in which 16 people face life imprisonment without parole, are set to finally begin and will test judicial independence in Turkey. Turkey
Who will benefit from Qatar’s asylum law? Although Qatari-Egyptian ties have been strained since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Qatar’s asylum law was followed with a ministerial decision that would not only protect Egyptian fugitives, but also ease their financial burden. Qatar
Trump presses UAE on alleged human rights abuses in Yemen The Defense Department says in a new strategy that it has pressed the United Arab Emirates to investigate allegations of torture in Yemeni detention centers. Saudi Arabia
Turkish diplomats swept up in wave of arrests report torture Evidence is piling up that many of the dozens of former Turkish diplomats recently rounded up and jailed were tortured, and the timing of the crackdown has raised speculation that the government is attempting to intimidate purged officials. Turkey
Can Turkey correct human rights record with new justice reform strategy? President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has just announced a comprehensive judicial reform program, but will it be enough to solve the country's deepening human rights problems? Turkey
EU slams Turkey on human rights in annual report In a progress report on would-be EU member Turkey, the European Union slammed the country's human rights record as an endless stream of damning accounts emerges. Turkey
Why can't an Arab Israeli couple find a home in Jerusalem? Jewish landlords are refusing to rent an apartment to a couple after determining that they are Arabs. Israel
House ratchets up pressure on Egypt The House’s annual foreign aid bill would place conditions on military aid. Egypt
Iran's burgeoning ‘resistance literature’: A new front? Despite an ongoing “paper crisis” that has engulfed both print media and publishers, “resistance literature” promoted by the Iranian political establishment is reaching new heights. Israel
