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
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
Held since April 2011
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Defender activity, 14 May 2026
At liberty Ali Al Hajee
Released March 2025, arrested 2013
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Ebrahim Sharif
Released February 2026, arrested March 2011
Arbitrary detention
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abduljalil Al-Singace
Held since March 2011
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Anniversary, 17 March 2026