Human rights groups have roundly condemned a ruling by a Bahraini court to affirm a two-year jail sentence of activist Nabeel Rajab, saying the verdict “illustrates the corruption” of the kingdom’s justice system. Rajab had been found guilty in July of “spreading rumours and untruthful information” against the government in TV interviews. The verdict was […]
Middle East articles on Democracy Chronicles
View news about the struggle for democracy in the troubled Middle East where vast cultural change and persistent political violence cry out for democracy. Also see our World Democracy section and our articles on the ongoing Arab Spring.
Iran’s Blocking of Telegram App May Have Backfired
Many Iranians now use online tools such as VPNs to bypass government restrictions and have access to the web
Bahrain high court upholds jail term for activist Rajab
Bahrain’s court of cassation on Monday confirmed a two-year jail sentence against prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, convicted for press statements critical of his government, a judicial source said. In July, the high-profile activist was found guilty of “disseminating rumours and false information” and sentenced to two years in prison over television interviews critical of the […]
MIT study connects stocks, democracy, and the Arab Spring
Study shows how seriously investors took the possibility of a democratic revolution during Egypt’s Arab Spring
Iraq Sets Critical May Elections as PM Leads New Party
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Sunday he would stand for re-election in May at the head of a new coalition, buoyed by victory over the Islamic State group. Abadi’s newly created “Victory Alliance” will face the “State of Law” bloc of Nuri al-Maliki, his predecessor, key rival and Shiite Dawa party co-member who now […]
Tunisia Plans Social Reforms After Wave of Anti-Austerity Protests
Tunisia’s government has announced a new package of social reforms worth nearly $70 million. The North African country has been rocked by protests ahead of the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising. The Tunisian government on Saturday announced a social reforms package aimed at improving care for the needy and increasing access to health […]
Wife of Saudi blogger Badawi told he could be pardoned
The wife of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi is allowing herself to dream: might the modernising new crown prince in her ultra-conservative homeland be about to free her husband? Ensaf Haidar, mother to the couple’s three children and wife of 16 years, recently heard from a delegation of European parliamentarians who visited Riyadh in late […]
Impasse May Permanently Cripple Lebanese Electoral Reforms
Ministers have expressed clear stances towards the implementation of the reforms, in the wake of sharp disputes over the adoption of the biometric voting card
The meaning and importance of the 2018 Iranian protests
A series of urban uprisings in Iran that began on Dec. 28 in its second-largest city shocked the country’s Islamic regime
Fears for ’90 university students’ held in Iran crackdown
As Iran’s state TV continues to show pro-regime rallies, fears are growing for those arrested in a crackdown on anti-government protests. More than a week of unrest that started last month saw some 22 people die, with over 1,000 detained, according to Iranian officals. Unrest spread to more than 80 cities and rural towns as […]