A Saudi journalist facing the death penalty for a series of tweets deemed to be blasphemous is reportedly to be released. Hamza Kashgari, who fled his own country after tweeting a conversation between himself and the prophet Mohammed which sparked...
CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa
Harassment of anti-government students at Bahrain Polytechnic continues
Last year, a number of students from Bahrain Polytechnic were expelled from the university for “participating in unlicensed gatherings and marches”. Targeting anti-government students, evidence for the expulsions was mostly obtained from social...

Formula One: why we’re watching Bahrain for all the wrong reasons
As the sporting world prepares to turn their attention to Bahrain on 22 April for its annual Formula One Grand Prix, Kristian Ulrichsen examines the impact of the race on the country
Twelve prominent Egyptian activists referred to military court
Twelve prominent Egyptian activists, including Wael Ghonim and presidential hopeful Bothaina Kamel, have reportedly been referred to a military court on charges of attempting to bring down the state and inciting hatred against the Supreme Council...
Kuwait: Daily newspaper suspended for “creating sectarian strife”
The suspension of a privately owned newspaper in Kuwait has been extended for the second time. Daily paper Al-Dar was suspended in an emergency session on 2 February after authorities accused the paper of violating the Press and Publications Law by...

Bahrain: For freedom
Prominent Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al Khawaja has been serving a life sentence since April 2011 for his involvement in anti-government protests last year. Al Khawaja has now been on hunger strike for 26 days. His daughter, Zainab Al...
India: Two journalists murdered in space of two weeks
An Indian newspaper reporter has been beaten to death, less than two weeks after another journalist was clubbed to death in the same area. Rajesh Mishra was attacked and beaten on 1 March in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Mishra, from weekly...
Libya: British journalists accused of spying by militia group
Two British journalists have been accused of spying in Libya by a militia group who arrested them last month. Gareth Montgomery-Johnson, 36, and Nicholas Davies, 37, from Iran's state-owned Press TV were arrested by the militia group in Tripoli on...
Israeli troops force two Palestinian TV stations to close
Israeli troops have stormed two Palestinian TV stations, seizing equipment and forcing them to close. In the early hours of 29 February, members of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) raided Al-Wattan and Al-Quds Educational TV in the West Bank, territory...
Israeli forces raid Palestinian TV stations
Two Ramallah-based TV stations were raided by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) troops at the behest of the Israeli Ministry of Communications in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Wattan TV station director Moammar Orabi described how the channel’s...