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
Filtered cases
Killed Saud al-Faraj
Execution, 1 April 2026
Arbitrary detention
Mohamed Eldai Musa
Context, 6 March 2022
Extrajudicial killing
Killed Khidir Sulieman Abdelmageed
Killing, 11 June 2023
Extrajudicial killing
Killed Bahjaa Abdelaa Abdelaa
Killing, 26 October 2023
Threats and intimidation
Killed Ahmed Mohamed Abdella
Killing, 4 August 2023
Extrajudicial killing
Killed El Sadeg Mohammed Ahmed Haroun
Killing, 18 June 2023
Extrajudicial killing
Killed Tareg Hassan Yagoub Elmalik
Context, 18 June 2023
Extrajudicial killing
Killed Khamis Arabab
Context, 11 June 2023
Extrajudicial killing
Killed Yanar Mohammed
Context, June 2026
Extrajudicial killing