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.
The Record
All records
Every entry is a case file. Open one to read the timeline and the cases, and what has and has not been checked. Where a photograph is missing, the file says so. When a case closes, the record stays.
Detained (pretrial) Ahmed Amasha
Held since June 2020
Arbitrary detention
Latest: UN opinion or decision, August 2025
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
Held since April 2011
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Defender activity, 14 May 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abdallah Saïd
Held since November 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: judgment upheld, 28 September 2026
Mohamed Iqbal Khaled
Released January 2026, arrested May 2024
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Chadha Haj Mbarek
Released January 2026, arrested 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: sentence reduced, 14 January 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Ayachi Hammami
Held since December 2025
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Punitive transfer, October 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Ali Mammeri
Held since March 2025
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: sentence reduced, 1 February 2026
At liberty Ali Al Hajee
Released March 2025, arrested 2013
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Ahmed Souab
Released February 2026, arrested April 2025
Arbitrary detention
Yadh Bousselmi
Released January 2026, arrested May 2024
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Salwa Ghrissa
Released March 2026, arrested December 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hearing, 30 April 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Saadia Mosbah
Held since May 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal lodged, 29 June 2026