Groups call on Michelle Bachelet for heightened UN scrutiny of human rights violations in Bahrain

NGOs call for co-ordinated international action and public scrutiny to address the government of Bahrain's ongoing attacks on civil society and to hold the kingdom accountable to its commitments to international human rights laws and standards

ECRF: As long as there are people defending human rights in Egypt, there is hope

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, winner of the 2018 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Campaigning, is one of the few remaining human rights organisations in Egypt

Bahraini injustice: Nabeel Rajab conviction for tweeting upheld

Bahrain’s Court of Cassation has upheld human rights activist Nabeel Rajab’s five-year conviction for critical tweets made from his account condemning Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen and the use of torture at Bahrain’s notorious Jau Prison.

Egyptian court upholds prison sentence against Amal Fathy

An Egyptian court on Sunday upheld a two-year prison sentence against activist Amal Fathy, who had been detained since May after posting a Facebook video that criticised sexual harassment in Egypt. Fathy was released following a court hearing on 27 December but remains under house arrest.

Open letter to Bahraini authorities: Drop all charges and release Nabeel Rajab

NGOs are concerned that, with Nabeel Rajab's appeal hearing scheduled on 31 December, authorities may be planning to increase his sentence under cover of the world's celebrations of the new year.

Saudi Arabia: Kingdom must be held to account for suppression of dissent

Index on Censorship joins with dozens of civil society organisations to call for Saudi Arabia to be held accountable for grave human rights violations.

Egypt sentences Amal Fathy for video on sexual harassment

Index on Censorship condemns the sentence handed down to Amal Fathy - an Egyptian woman who made a video about her experience of sexual harassment.

Saudi Arabia: Authorities must release Yemeni writer Marwan Al-Muraisy

ALQST for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, English PEN, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Index on Censorship, and PEN International call on the authorities in Saudi Arabia to release Yemeni writer and online activist Marwan Al-Muraisy, who has been subject to enforced disappearance since June.

Bahrain: Ali Mushaima ‏vows to continue fighting for his imprisoned father

Outside the Bahraini Embassy, Mushaima also expressed his gratitude towards MPs such as Caroline Lucas and Ian Blackford for raising his father’s case

Authors send letter to His Royal Highness Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Leading writers including Margaret Atwood, Elif Shafak and Claire Tomalin have signed an open letter to the king of Bahrain urging him to intervene in the case of a political prisoner being denied the right to read in jail.

NGOs call for full repeal of Egypt’s “cybercrime” law and block of dangerous law regulating media

Index on Censorship joins a coalition of some of the world’s leading human rights and digital rights organisations to call for full repeal of Egypt’s “cybercrime” law

Happy birthday Nabeel!

Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab is spending his third birthday in prison. Send him a birthday message on Twitter or Facebook