Human rights defenders
HuMENA documents the cases of human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa who have been targeted for their work. Each entry is a dated case file.
Scope of the archive and inclusion criteria
HuMENA applies the definition set out in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: a human rights defender is any person who, individually or with others, acts by peaceful means to promote or protect internationally recognised human rights, their own or those of others. The status derives from the act, not from a person's profession or title.
Each person in this archive meets two conditions, established by reliable sources: a specific act of this kind, and targeting that followed from it. Cases that rest solely on a violation suffered, on family ties to a defender, on party membership, or on prosecution in a politically sensitive case fall outside its scope.
References: UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (resolution 53/144, 1998); HuMENA Editorial Guide.
Defenders on record, by country
Select a country to show its case files in the list below. The same countries are available in the country filter.
The Record
Currently held
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Husain Mouneif al-Jabri
Held since June 2023
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Final judgment, 26 June 2025
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Ezzat Ghoneim
Held since September 2018
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 5 March 2023
Detained (pretrial) Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy
Held since October 2019
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hearing, 24 August 2026
Jalal Bouchaab
Held since September 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hearing, 16 November 2021
Jamal Ahrouch
Held since September 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Conviction, 30 November 2021
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Sherwan Sherwani
Held since October 2020
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hunger strike begins, 22 April 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Zied El Heni
Held since April 2026
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Conviction, 27 October 2026
Detained (pretrial) Yasser Abu Al-Ela
Held since March 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Referral to trial, May 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Mohamed Al-Roken
Held since June 2023
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 26 June 2025
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abubakr Mansour Abdela
Held since November 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: judgment upheld, April 2026
Detained (pretrial) Abdul Majid Sabra
Held since September 2025
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Pretrial detention renewed, 8 September 2026
Detained (pretrial) Al-Fadil Ismail
Held since November 2025
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 18 November 2025