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
Badr Baabou
Context, November 2021
Physical assault
At liberty Arroi Baraket
Conviction, 18 January 2023
Gender based violence
At liberty Saif Ayedi
Released October 2022, arrested October 2020
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Case dropped, 21 October 2022
At liberty Meriem Bribri
Context, 28 September 2022
Judicial harassment
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Zied El Heni
Held since April 2026
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Conviction, 27 October 2026
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Abdallah Saïd
Held since November 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: judgment upheld, 28 September 2026
At liberty Ahmed Souab
Released February 2026, arrested April 2025
Arbitrary detention
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Ayachi Hammami
Held since December 2025
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Punitive transfer, October 2026
At liberty Chadha Haj Mbarek
Released January 2026, arrested 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Appeal: sentence reduced, 14 January 2026
Mohamed Iqbal Khaled
Released January 2026, arrested May 2024
Arbitrary detention
Mohamed Joô
Released January 2026, arrested May 2024
Arbitrary detention
Imprisoned (serving sentence) Mourad Zghidi
Held since May 2024
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 10 September 2026