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
At liberty Salah Hamouri
Favourable court order, 4 June 2026
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Mahienour El-Masry
Released April 2024, arrested November 2017
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Interrogation, August 2025
At liberty Azza Soliman
Released December 2016, arrested December 2016
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Asset freeze lifted, November 2024
Detained (pretrial) Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy
Held since October 2019
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hearing, 24 August 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Ezzat Ghoneim
Held since September 2018
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 5 March 2023
At liberty Negad El Borai
Context, 20 March 2024
Asset freeze
At liberty Mohamed El-Baqer
Released July 2023, arrested September 2019
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Administrative or disciplinary hearing, 13 June 2026
At liberty Nizar Saghieh
Context, 12 May 2023
Denial of legal counsel
At liberty Haytham Mohamadeen
Released September 2022, arrested September 2013
Arbitrary detention
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