Resources
Reports, statements, letters and analysis published by HuMENA, filed by date, type, country and area of work. Everything here can be cited.
Civic Space & Freedoms
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Press release
Lebanon Supports Key Civic Space Recommendations at the UPR, but Implementation Remains the Real Test
Several recommendations supported by Lebanon reflect issues HuMENA advanced through its UPR advocacy, from freedom of expression and the protection of journalists and human rights defenders to digital rights and refugee protection. However, key recommendations on criminal defamation, military courts, Article 534, explicit protection for LGBTQI+ individuals, and Palestinian refugees’ rights to work and property […]
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Joint statement
Egypt | Rights Groups Call for Release of Filmmaker Omar Salah Marei and his Immediate Access to Medical Care
We, the undersigned organisations, condemn the continued detention of Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Omar Salah Marei. We call for his immediate and unconditional release, the dropping of all charges against him, and the closure of Case No. 3835 of 2026 (Supreme State Security). We are gravely concerned over the serious deterioration of Marei’s health, as […]
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Joint statement
Criminalizing Truth: Gulf Governments Must End the Crackdown on Information
Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, triggering a wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region, Gulf governments have moved swiftly to seal, even further, the information environment, controlling what their populations can see, say, and share about the attacks unfolding in their cities. […]
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Joint statement
Bahrain | Freedom of Religion and Belief Is a Fundamental Right, Not a Basis for Arrest or Criminalization
The Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain must immediately and unconditionally release the religious scholars arrested by Bahraini security forces across the Kingdom on May 9, 2026, especially since it has not presented any evidence to substantiate its claims or formally charged them with internationally recognized offenses. On the contrary, it has resorted to its […]
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Joint statement
Meta blocks human rights accounts from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
The undersigned organisations condemn Meta’s recent decision to restrict the Facebook and Instagram accounts of independent NGOs, researchers, and civil society figures from reaching audiences in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is the latest in a pattern of major technology companies, including Meta, acting as enforcement arms for repressive governments in […]
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Legal & political analysis
Tunisia | The Verdict Against Zied El-Heni: How Tunisia Is Criminalizing Journalistic Expression A legal reading of Article 86, Law-Decree 54, and the sidelining of Tunisia’s press law safeguards
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement publishes this position paper in a context where Tunisia’s civic and media space is undergoing a cumulative transformation, shaped by judicial, administrative, and financial measures that are reshaping the relationship between public authorities and independent institutions. The case of journalist Zied El-Heni, which forms the immediate basis of […]
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Statement
Tunisia | HuMENA Condemns the Imprisonment of Journalist Zied El Heni and Calls for the Verdict to Be Annulled
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement condemns the ruling issued on the evening of Thursday, 7 May 2026, by the Criminal Chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance, sentencing journalist Zied El Heni to one year in prison under Article 86 of the Telecommunications Code. The case relates to an expert media intervention […]
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Press release
Tunisia | Suspension of Avocats Sans Frontières Restricts Civic Space and Threatens Access to Justice for Vulnerable Groups
HuMENA condemns the decision by the Tunisian authorities, issued on 5 May 2026, to suspend the activities of Avocats Sans Frontières for one month. The measure raises serious concerns for freedom of association and the right to access justice, particularly as the organization stated that it received the decision without being provided with the legal […]
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News item
HuMENA at HRC61: Advocacy on Digital Rights and Civic Space in MENA
During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement joined a civil society advocacy mission in Geneva alongside the Innovation for Change MENA Hub (I4C MENA Hub), 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, Smart Gov, and Wasl for Human Rights Tunisia, under […]
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Statement
Algeria | Closure of the office of the “SOS Disappeared” association, affiliated with the Collective of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria, constitutes a direct attack on freedom of association and the right to truth
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement condemns the decision by the Algerian authorities on 16 March 2026 to close the office of the “SOS Disappeared” association (SOS Disparus) in Algiers, which is affiliated with the Collective of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria (CFDA). HuMENA considers this measure to be not a routine administrative […]
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Statement
Tunisia | Prosecution of “Sumud Flotilla” Members Marks a Dangerous Escalation in the Criminalization of Solidarity with Gaza
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement condemns the issuance of pre-trial detention orders against several members of the steering committee of the “Sumud Flotilla” in Tunisia. HuMENA considers these measures a dangerous escalation in the criminalization of solidarity with Gaza, and a troubling resort to punitive criminal law measures against a humanitarian and solidarity-based […]
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Press release
Detention of Fareah Al-Saqqaf and Suad Al-Munayes by State Security Raises Serious Concerns about Freedom of Expression and Legal Safeguards in Kuwait
Kuwaiti authorities have detained activist and writer Fareah Al-Saqqaf and thinker and activist Suad Al-Munayes over social media posts in which they expressed political views. Available information indicates that the State Security apparatus was responsible for their detention, amid a lack of clear official information regarding their legal status or the legal basis for the […]
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