Bahraini human rights activists Nabeel Rajab and Sayed Ahmed Al Wadaei discuss their countries human rights record.
Bahrain: Activists highlight the human rights situation
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CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa
Egypt: Restrictions on campus protest could spark unrest
With just a few weeks to go before Egyptian universities open their gates to students for the start of the new academic year, the Egyptian authorities are feeling jittery — and rightly so. Shahira Amin reports
#FreeMaryam: Protesters deliver message to Foreign Office
Today a protest was held outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office calling for the UK government to condemn the regime in Bahrain and support the release of human rights campaigner Maryam Alkhawaja and her father, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who has been in prison in the country since 2011.
The godfather of Iranian hip-hop wants grassroots change
Being a hip-hop artist in a country where the genre is banned comes with many challenges Iranian rapper Hichkas explains. Mari Shibata reports
Iran: Rouhani’s insistence on faster internet has staying power
While previous moves toward more openness in Iran have faltered, President Rouhani’s call for faster connection speeds for internet users has carved out common ground with the country’s supreme leader. Azadeh Moaveni writes
Bahrain: Human rights defender remains jailed
Prominent regime critic Maryam Alkhawaja was detained at Bahrain International Airport on Friday as she tried to enter the country
How Egypt’s NGO trial made me an international fugitive
Egyptian NGOs have to register under a repressive law or risk prosecution. Being convicted as an NGO worker in Egypt has consequences far beyond that country’s borders, writes Michelle Betz
Egypt’s nascent street art movement under pressure
Graffiti played a big part in Egypt’s 2011 revolution. Today the artists face threats of violence, and the potential of jail time and fines under a proposed draft law. Shahira Amin reports
Gaza: Press vests fail to protect Palestinian journalists
News coverage of the ongoing Gaza conflict would be infinitely poorer without local journalists, but it’s clear that international media needs to show their commitment by providing Palestinian reporters and fixers with extra support. Ruth Michaelson reports
Did culture and arts prepare Egypt for revolution?
Some believe the stage for Egypt’s 2011 mass uprising was already being set years earlier — with popular culture helping fuel the people’s anger and frustration. Shahira Amin reports