'Apartheid': Arab countries including UAE, Jordan decry new Israeli law A group of foreign ministers struck out at a new Israeli law requiring the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism in military courts. Palestine
Amid chatter of local uprisings, eyes turn to Iran's minorities: What to know Ethnic minorities in Iran, historically marginalized and repressed by Iran's central government, are gaining attention as potential political actors amid escalating US and Israeli strikes. Iran
'No meaningful protection': Israel’s new Gaza aid rules raise data, security risks The guidelines expand Israeli authority to deny NGO registration in the Palestinian territories and visas for foreign aid workers as Gaza continues to reel from two years of war. Palestine
UN points to 'genocidal path' in RSF assault on Sudan’s El-Fasher A UN fact-finding mission says the scale and coordination of atrocities in Darfur mark a shift in its assessment of the paramilitary group’s campaign. Sudan
Feature ISIS brides face uncertain future as Damascus clashes with Syria’s Kurds By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Israeli guards crack down as Palestinian prisoners rebel Palestinians reject new measures taken against them in Israeli prisons, most notably the installation of electronic jamming devices suspected of causing cancer. Palestine
Could Egypt turn into police state with new law proposal? In a move described by human rights activists as further restriction on people’s freedom, the Egyptian government agreed to a proposal to force landlords to report their tenants' information to the police. Egypt
The social toll of Turkey’s emergency rule Turkey’s state of emergency ended last year, but its victims continue to suffer, with many entertaining suicidal thoughts or aspiring to leave the country, according to a recent survey. Turkey
Can books be used for punishment? The sentencing of a veteran Iranian dissident to a jail term and to copy three books by hand has brought the phenomenon of “alternative sentences” to the fore. Iran
Iranian human rights lawyer said to receive 38 years in prison According to her husband, Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 148 lashes as well as 38 years in prison, an extraordinarily long time even by the Islamic Republic’s standards. Iran
Human rights the elephant in the room at Arab-EU summit The first summit of European Union and Arab League leaders exposed existing rifts between the Middle East and Europe, in particular on the human rights front. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey succumbs to US court summons, readies defense over DC violence The Turkish government hires law firm and gets 55-day extension from a US district court in a case where Erdogan's bodyguards beat protesters two years ago in Washington. Turkey
Families fret as Turkey's Gulenist purge continues Plainclothes operatives captured two more alleged followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen in broad daylight in Ankara and they have not been heard from since. Turkey
Cowed Egyptians meet Sisi’s power grab with apathy The rare voices who spoke out against the push to extend the president’s term have faced a campaign of intimidation. Egypt
Tunisian man jailed for reporting rape highlights LGBT struggles After reporting his rape this past January, a Tunisian man was jailed and sentenced to six months in prison, sparking anger in the LGBT community. Tunisia
Thailand buckles to global pressure, frees Bahraini soccer player Thailand released Bahraini soccer player and refugee Hakeem al-Araibi from prison, though Bahrain has warned that it still seeks to pursue legal action against him. Bahrain
Egypt parts ways with top lobbyist days after '60 Minutes' debacle Cairo and the Glover Park Group have ended a relationship that began after the 2013 coup. Egypt
