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 Ali Akram al-Bayati
Released February 2022, arrested February 2022
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Departure into exile, 2022
At liberty Yasser Al-Hamdani
Acquittal, 30 May 2023
Judicial harassment
At liberty Tanya Darwish
Appeal lodged, June 2023
Criminalisation of solidarity
At liberty Jassim Al-Asadi
Released February 2023, arrested February 2023
Physical assault
At liberty Delsoz Khalaf
Referral to trial, 17 August 2023
Judicial harassment
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Sherwan Sherwani
Held since October 2020
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Hunger strike begins, 22 April 2026
At liberty Murtadha Al-Janoubi
Released March 2026, arrested March 2026
Arbitrary detention
Killed Yanar Mohammed
Context, June 2026
Extrajudicial killing