Greater Middle East
Egypt: secularism and dictatorship?
A sweeping "anti-terrorism" decree and expanded crackdown on opposition come as Egypt's President al-Sisi is making overtures to the Copts and invoking pluralism.
Tag: Arab Revolution
Greater Middle East
Egypt: 439 refered to military tribunal
Egypt's top prosecutor referred 439 individuals to a military tribunal for the killing of three police officers last year. Rights groups protest the use of the tribunals for civilians.
Greater Middle East
Bahrain: protests against British base deal
Protests were held in the Bahraini island city of Sitra against an agreement signed between the kingdom and Great Britain to establish a new military base in the Persian Gulf state.
Greater Middle East
Egypt: court sentences 188 to death
An Egyptian court sentenced 188 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for an August 2013 attack on a police station in Giza governate, widely known as the "Kerdasa massacre."
Greater Middle East
Egypt: court dismisses case against Mubarak
A Egyptian court dropped charges against former president Hosni Mubarak in his retrial for the deaths of more than 100 protesters during the 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.
Southeast Asia
Worldwide despots: Orwell still dangerous
Protesters in military-ruled Thailand have been silently reading 1984 in public to outwit a ban on gatherings—leading to the book itself being banned. Egypt could be next.
North Africa
Libya: high court dissolves UN-backed parliament
Libya's Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the UN-backed elected parliament, which has taken refuge in Tobruk, in a victory for the "rebel" parliament in Tripoli.
North Africa
Tunisia boots jihadi ‘godfather’ Bernard Henry Levy
French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy was expelled from Tunisia following mass demonsrations that accused him of coming to the country to plot with Libyan jihadists.
Greater Middle East
Saudi women’s rights campaigner arrested: report
Saudi Arabian rights activists reported that authorities had arrested Suad al-Shamari, a prominent women's rights advocate, for insulting Islam.
Greater Middle East
Egypt: court convicts eight in same-sex marriage
An Egyptian court convicted and sentenced eight men to three years in prison following their participation in an alleged same-sex wedding party.
Greater Middle East
Bahrain court suspends main opposition group
A Bahrain court, actining in a suit brought by the Ministry of Justice, ordered the country's main Shi'ite opposition group al-Wefaq to suspend all activities.
Greater Middle East
Saudi court sentences lawyers for public criticisms
A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced three lawyers to between five and eight years in prison for accusing the country's justice system of arbitrary detentions on Twitter.