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 Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh
Released June 2022, arrested July 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 18 August 2022
At liberty Alaa Abdel Fattah
Released September 2025, arrested May 2006
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Context, 26 December 2025
At liberty Ahmed Samir Santawy
Released July 2022, arrested February 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Travel ban imposed, 16 April 2026
At liberty Solafa Magdy
Released April 2021, arrested November 2019
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Departure into exile, 26 September 2021
Killed Saud al-Faraj
Execution, 1 April 2026
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Malcolm Bidali
Released May 2021, arrested May 2021
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Travel ban lifted, 16 August 2021
At liberty Ramy Kamel
Released January 2022, arrested November 2019
Arbitrary detention
Yahya Mohamed El Hafed Aaza
Physical assault, 19 March 2023
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Raif Badawi
Released March 2022, arrested March 2008
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Travel ban imposed, 11 March 2022
At liberty Mohamed El-Baqer
Released July 2023, arrested September 2019
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Administrative or disciplinary hearing, 13 June 2026
At liberty Sultana Khaya
Released May 2022, arrested November 2020
Arbitrary detention
At liberty Patrick George Zaki
Released July 2023, arrested February 2020
Arbitrary detention
Latest: Travel ban lifted, 23 July 2023