In Egypt, artists remain in prison. This piece looks at artivism and the prosecution of artists for publishing false news.
Organisations renew their call for the immediate and unconditional release of Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Omar Salah Marei.
Ahead of the 31 July hearing in El Mahdi Lyoubi’s case before the Ain Sebaa First Instance Court in Casablanca, following the court’s decision at the first hearing on 22 July to reject his request for provisional release and adjourn the proceedings while maintaining all charges against him, HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement…
At a glance: Artivism, exile and diaspora, cultural policy, freedom of artistic expression | For artists and cultural actors in exile, workshop facilitators, cultural and human rights organizations “This toolkit gives artists in exile the analytical tools to decide for themselves what the political dimension of their work will be.” “Guide to Artivism in Exile:…
The undersigned organizations are extremely concerned over the continued enforced disappearance of Turkish-Egyptian poet and political dissident Abdulrahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi for more than 200 days. Abdulrahman Yusuf was arrested in Lebanon on 28 December 2024 and forcibly extradited to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 8 January 2025, in flagrant violation of due process guarantees…
On July 31, 2025, +10 human rights organizations wrote to the Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. Motaz Zahran urging him to raise our concerns about the detention of poet and PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award honoree Galal El-Behairy with relevant authorities in Cairo. Your Excellency, We, the undersigned human rights organizations, are deeply alarmed by…
Nearly a year after Egypt’s National Security Agency arrested cartoonist Ashraf Omar over his drawings, a look at artivism and repression.
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement strongly condemns the July 1, 2025, decision by the Algerian Appeal Court to uphold the politically motivated five-year prison sentence and a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars (approximately $3,700 USD) against the renowned French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. This verdict represents a serious breach of Algeria’s national and international…
An essay inspired by a live experience in the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime, on how the arts reclaim the public sphere.
Civil society in North African countries faces challenges and risks, at times under authoritarian regimes.
‘HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement,’ in collaboration with ‘RedWord for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression,’ publishes a joint report titled: “Political Satire in Egypt: A Peaceful Protest Against Repression.” The report provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of freedom of expression, paired with political satire as a peaceful and effective tool…
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement strongly condemns the recent detention of renowned Egyptian cartoonist Ashraf Omar. He was recently thrown behind bars for his poignant drawings, which criticized the system and exercised his right to free speech, an act that is protected by international human rights laws and Egypt’s constitution. Ashraf Omar’s arrest…