Syria arrests Amjad Youssef, Tadamoun massacre perpetrator: What to know Amjad Youssef appeared on video, allegedly killing dozens of civilians in 2013; he is the latest member of the Assad regime to be captured by the new Syrian government. Syria
Lebanon bids farewell to Amal Khalil, journalist killed by Israel: What to know Khalil's death in a targeted strike on a house where she and a colleague took cover sparked widespread condemnation by Lebanese officials and international media groups. Lebanon
Iran executes 14th person since war over alleged Mossad ties: What to know Iran has carried out multiple executions since the outbreak of the war with the United States and Israel, as it intensifies a crackdown on individuals accused of spying for Israel. Iran
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Al-Monitor that Israel will only be able to defang Hezbollah if it reaches an agreement with the Lebanese government.
Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of 'apartheid' The leading international human rights watchdog cited Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza vis-a-vis Jewish Israelis. The Israeli government dismissed the report. News Brief
Iran sentences British-Iranian aid worker to another year in jail Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had just competed her five-year sentence when she was summoned to court on a new propaganda charge. Iran
Biden calls Erdogan ahead of expected Armenian genocide labeling The White House readout of the call between the two leaders did not mention the Armenian genocide. News Brief
Turkish talk of reconciliation angers Armenians on 106th anniversary of genocide Turkey has warned the United States that President Joe Biden's expected characterization of the mass killings of the Ottoman Armenians in 1915 as a genocide will derail Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and further damage US-Turkish ties. Armenians say there is no reconciliation process to speak of. Turkey
Khamenei critic faces 'imminent death' in Iran prison Relentless pleas from international rights groups and members of the Iranian civil society for the release of outspoken journalist Mohammad Nourizad continue to remain unheeded by Iranian authorities. Iran
Iran, Egypt lead Middle East in executions in 2020 Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for 88% of executions last year outside of world leader China, according to Amnesty International. Iran
UN experts urge UAE to release princess who claims she's hostage UN human rights consultants have expressed alarm over videos alleging the 35-year-old princess is being held against her will. News Brief
Survey: Increasing number of Israelis would support Arab party joining government The survey by the Israeli human rights group also concluded that most Israelis and Palestinians believe the International Criminal Court's probe into alleged Israeli crimes will not affect policy. Israel
Egypt releases journalist Khaled Dawoud from prison Khaled Dawoud was arrested as part of a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2019. Egypt
EU blacklist of Iran commanders strikes a nerve in Tehran Tehran said the European Union cannot preach human rights and announced a halt in cooperation with the bloc on fighting terrorism and narcotics after the latter sanctioned Iranian commanders over human rights violations. Iran
EU-Turkey partnership: Anything but honest The latest visit by top European Union officials to Ankara has shown that the European Union has effectively turned its back to its avowed core principles and values vis-a-vis Erdogan. Turkey
EU hits Iranian officials with sanctions over human rights abuses The eight individuals sanctioned include the head of the Revolutionary Guards and the commander of the Basij forces. Iran
