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
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
Turkish lawyers focus of 2019 Day of the Endangered Lawyer The Day of the Endangered Lawyer is focusing on Turkey, where lawyers from all ideological and social backgrounds are trying to practice their profession under alarmingly increasing pressures. Originals
Israel kicks out international monitoring force in Hebron Palestinians are asking the UN to intercede in Israel's decision to end the mandate of a peacekeeping force in Hebron, a decision they fear will lead to increased settlement activity in the West Bank city. Palestine
Egypt’s activists fear new law on mounting cameras in public spaces Egypt’s parliament approved a bill forcing shop and restaurant owners to install surveillance cameras under the pretext of preventing terrorist activities. Egypt
Tunisians cautiously optimistic as truth commission delivers final report After five years of investigating cases of corruption and human rights abuses under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission is concluding its mandate, though many say there is still much more to do. Tunisia
