Middle East Democracy Center

On April 3, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will begin his third term as president of Egypt following a rushed presidential election marred by a campaign of arrests, ongoing repression, and the elimination of any meaningful competition.

During his first ten years as president, el-Sisi ruled through brutal authoritarian trial-and-error that has left Egypt in a precarious economic and political state. Now, as the strongman begins his new term as president, the war on Gaza is also exacerbating the existing economic challenges and providing cover for further oppression and abuse of power.

🔔 Tomorrow, join the Middle East Democracy Center’s (MEDC) Democracy Matters Initiative for an expert panel discussion to examine the aftermath of a decade of autocratic governance under el-Sisi and to discuss current developments and implications for human rights and democracy in Egypt and the wider MENA region.

While registration to attend in person is now closed, you can watch the event live on YouTube. For more information and a link to the livestream, visit: https://pomed.org/events/sisis-hollowed-state-ten-years-of-autocracy-in-egypt/

On October 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, was brutally murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on the direct orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). His assassination sparked international outrage as governments, journalists, and businesses tried to reckon with this horrific act.

Five years later, the international community has welcomed the crown prince back into the fold despite the lack of justice or accountability for the murder. As a result, MBS has escalated his campaign of repression and become an even bigger threat to human rights in Saudi Arabia and around the world.



On October 2, the five year anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder, join us from 1:00-2:00PM ET for a virtual discussion as we commemorate his life and legacy and commit to safeguarding the rights of dissidents. Panelists will include Karen Attiah, Global Opinions editor for the Washington Post, where she recruited Jamal Khashoggi as a contributor; Omar Abdulaziz, a Saudi dissident and close friend of Jamal Khashoggi who was targeted by Saudi hackers; and Saudi human rights defender and head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST Lina al-Hathloul.



The discussion will be moderated by Akbar Shahid Ahmed, senior foreign affairs reporter for HuffPost and will feature special video remarks from Hatice Cengiz, Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee.



To register for the virtual discussion, visit the .

When someone becomes the victim of enforced disappearance, they literally vanish - from the lives of their families and from their communities. Abducted by police or agents of the state that refuse to reveal their whereabouts, victims are often tortured or even killed. The families and loved ones of people who have been forcibly disappeared live in agony and constant fear, not knowing when - or if - they will ever see their loved ones again.



Enforced disappearance is a tool of authoritarian regimes like Egypt and Saudi Arabia - both strategic U.S. allies - to instill fear in society and silence dissent. It is also a crime against international law.



Today, on the International Day for the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, we remember all those who have faced enforced disappearance or who continue to be forcibly disappeared. Today, we continue to call on Egypt and Saudi Arabia to reveal the whereabouts of all those forcibly disappeared and immediately release all those unjustly detained.

On August 14, 2013, Egyptian security forces violently stormed two sit-ins in Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda squares and carried out one of the largest mass killings of protesters in recent history. The massacre marked a turning point for human rights in Egypt, heralding in one of the worse human rights crises in the country's modern history.



📣Ten years later, roughly 60,000 political dissidents are languishing behind bars and the human rights crisis in the country continues to deteriorate. To date, not a single perpetrator has been held accountable for the massacre.



On Thursday, August 10 at 12:00 P.M. ET, join the Freedom Initiative for a virtual panel as we discuss the ways in which the Rabaa massacre represents a paradigm shift in the Egyptian government’s crackdown on dissent and how and why efforts to combat growing repression have not always borne fruit. Panelists include former congressman and vocal advocate for human rights in Egypt Tom Malinowski; Andrea Prasow, Executive Director of the Freedom Initiative; human rights defender and former political prisoner Hassan Elbanna Taher, whose brother was killed in the aftermath of the Rabaa massacre; and Fajr Abdelnasser, whose father was killed during the Rabaa dispersal.



Register at the

**UPDATED TIME AND DATE: Saturday, July 8, 2023 at Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia after Maghreb Prayer**



On September 10, 2017, Dr. Salman al-Odah, a respected scholar of Islamic law, was arrested alongside dozens of writers, religious scholars, journalists and activists in a sweeping crackdown in Saudi Arabia just months after current Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) seized power in a palace coup. His crime? Advocating for peaceful relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Twitter.

In prison, al-Odah has faced physical and psychological torture and has become partially deaf and blind as a result.

His son, Abdullah Alaoudh, is a prominent human rights defender and the Saudi Director of the Freedom Initiative who has advocated tirelessly for his father's freedom. On Saturday, July 8, 2023, join Abdullah Alaoudh at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia for a discussion about the wrongful imprisonment of his father, human rights in Saudi Arabia and how you can help.

To learn more about the Freedom Initiative's work to free political prisoners, visit: www.thefreedomi.org

Ten years ago today, then-army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a violent military coup in Egypt, ending the country's brief democratic transition. Today, a human rights crisis in the country continues unabated.



One decade after the coup, at least 60,000 political prisoners languish behind bars in Egypt, torture in prisons is systematic, and enforced disappearance has become commonplace. The long arm of Egyptian repression has also reached U.S. soil and transnational repression is on the rise. Despite the dire human rights situation in Egypt, the U.S. approved more than $12 billion in military aid to Egypt between 2013 and 2022.



Today, on the anniversary of the 2013 military coup, join us in calling on Egypt to free all those unjustly detained.

On June 26, 1987, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, came into effect. But nearly four decades later, torture continues to take place despite being a recognized international crime.



In Egypt, torture is systemic in detention centers. Officials are rarely brought to justice and victims have faced retaliation for speaking out. And in Saudi Arabia, torture & ill-treatment are also widespread. In both countries, brave human rights defenders have faced unimaginable torture for daring to speak out for a better world.



Today, on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we stand in solidarity with victims of torture and their loved ones in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and around the world. We'll keep working towards a world free from torture and demanding justice and accountability.




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On September 10, 2017, Dr. Salman al-Odah, a respected scholar of Islamic law, was arrested alongside dozens of writers, religious scholars, journalists and activists in a sweeping crackdown in Saudi Arabia just months after current Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) seized power in a palace coup. His crime? Advocating for peaceful relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Twitter.

In prison, al-Odah has faced physical and psychological torture and has become partially deaf and blind as a result.

His son, Abdullah Alaoudh, is a prominent human rights defender and the Saudi Director of the Freedom Initiative who has advocated tirelessly for his father's freedom. On Saturday, June 24, 2023 from 6:30-8:30 PM ET, join Abdullah Alaoudh at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia for a discussion about the wrongful imprisonment of his father, human rights in Saudi Arabia and how you can help.

To learn more about the Freedom Initiative's work to free political prisoners, visit: www.thefreedomi.org

On September 10, 2017, Dr. Salman al-Odah, a respected scholar of Islamic law, was arrested alongside dozens of writers, religious scholars, journalists and activists in a sweeping crackdown in Saudi Arabia just months after current Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) seized power in a palace coup. His crime? Advocating for peaceful relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Twitter.

In prison, al-Odah has faced physical and psychological torture and has become partially deaf and blind as a result.

His son, Abdullah Alaoudh, is a prominent human rights defender and the Saudi Director of the Freedom Initiative who has advocated tirelessly for his father's freedom. On Saturday, June 24, 2023 from 6:30-8:30 PM ET, join Abdullah Alaoudh at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia for a discussion about the wrongful imprisonment of his father, human rights in Saudi Arabia and how you can help.

To learn more about the Freedom Initiative's work to free political prisoners, visit: www.thefreedomi.org

As Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to the Kingdom this week, Saudi Arabia continues to threaten and harass individuals on U.S. soil.



Saudi transnational repression is a threat to U.S. national security. Secretary of State Blinken should speak up.



Read more in our recent report on transnational repression.

⚠️REGISTRATION OPEN⚠️Lace up your running shoes and join us for our 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ at this year's Marine Corps Marathon! 🎉 Registration is now open to run with the Freedom Initiative and help us free political prisoners in the Middle East and North Africa.

📅 Race Day: Sunday, October 29, 2023
🚧 2 run options: Marathon & 10K
⏰ Last day to register August 31, 2023

Are you race READY? 💪 Register today in

Saudi activist Abdullah Alaoudh regularly faces death threats, & Saudi authorities have tried to coerce him to return to the Kingdom, where he would likely be imprisoned.

Read more in our new report on in the United States

Release Human Rights Defender Mohammed al-Qahtani and Other Arbitrarily Detained ACPRA Members , Groups Say Saudi authorities must release human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani and other ACPRA members who are arbitrarily detained​

📢 MONDAY: Join us at 1 pm ET for a panel moderated by Director of Century International Thanassis Cambanis and featuring the Freedom Initiative's Research Manager Amr ElAfifi, Freedom House's Yana Gorokhovskaia, who has overseen the organization's work on transnational repression, and the Freedom Initiative's Saudi Director Abdullah Alaoudh

We'll discuss the Freedom Initiative's new report, which reveals the extent to which Egypt and Saudi Arabia are using to target their critics on US soil, creating a chilling effect that threatens fundamental freedoms in the United States.

to register.

TOMORROW: On Wednesday, April 19, donate to our campaign to and help win a prize of $5,000.

With your help, we'll be one step closer to reuniting families torn apart by unjust detention.

to donate.

At the Freedom Initiative, we're fighting to end unjust detention in the Middle East and North Africa.

We envision a MENA region where all are free to enjoy their fundamental rights - and we're relying on the support of people like you to make that a reality.

This Ramadan, give back by donating to the Freedom Initiative. With very little overhead costs, 90 cents for every dollar goes directly to support our programs and the staff who work tirelessly to advocate for the freedom of political prisoners. launchgood.com/campaign/reunite_families for our .

For Egyptian dissidents, even the United States is not safe.

Sherif Mansour, a U.S.-based human rights defender and the Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, is being targeted by the Egyptian government.

Egyptian authorities detained Sherif's cousin, Reda Abdelrahman, and accused him of being a terrorist. Sherif and his father also face unfounded terrorism allegations. Though Reda has since been released, he remains trapped in Egypt under an unjust travel ban.

Transnational repression - or the targeting of individuals across state borders - is tearing families apart. Sherif can't go back to Egypt to see his loved ones, and over a dozen of his relatives have faced unjust detention inside Egypt in retaliation for his human rights work, a tactic known as state hostage-taking.

Join the fight to this Ramadan.
#2023

This WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, join us for a Day of Action to .



There are tens of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Countless others are trapped under unjust travel bans or have been forced into exile, where they continue to face harassment at the hands of the Egyptian and Saudi governments, unable to return home for fear of arrest - or worse.



Each one of them has loved ones who would do anything to see them again.



This Ramadan, the Freedom Initiative needs your support to torn apart by wrongful detention and other forms of repression.



On April 5, you can get involved by amplifying our campaign content, donating to our LaunchGood, and using our Day of Action kit to create a video in solidarity with victims of repression.



Together, we can this Ramadan. launchgood.com/campaign/reunite_families #
#2023

Join the Freedom Initiative on Wednesday, April 5 (the UN International Day of Conscience) for a Day of Action to torn apart by wrongful detention and other forms of repression.

The International Day of Conscience reminds us that we all have the power to make a difference. launchgood.com/campaign/reunite_families for more info.
#2023

Loujain al-Hathloul hasn't hugged her brother or sisters in over four years.

She was detained for 1,001 days, tortured, and tried before a terrorism court in because she demanded basic rights for Saudi women. Now, she's trapped under an unjust travel ban, unable to reunite with her siblings abroad.

Countless others like Loujain are wrongfully detained or subjected to politically motivated travel bans.

This Ramadan, support our campaign by donating through LaunchGood. With your support, we can end wrongful detention in the Middle East and North Africa.

#2023

At the Freedom Initiative, we're fighting to end unjust detention in the Middle East and North Africa.



We envision a MENA region where all are free to enjoy their fundamental rights - and we're relying on the support of people like you to make that a reality.

This Ramadan, give back by donating to the Freedom Initiative. With very little overhead costs, 90 cents for every dollar goes directly to support our programs and the staff who work tirelessly to advocate for the freedom of political prisoners. launchgood.com/campaign/reunite_families for our LaunchGood.

#2023

Right now, countless innocent people are trapped in Egypt and Saudi Arabia under unjust travel bans. Though often regarded as a less violation, travel bans carry life-shattering consequences. Those banned from travel are cut off from loved ones abroad, miss out on work and educational opportunities, and are trapped in an environment where they risk the constant threat of arrest or re-arrest.



This Ramadan, we're campaigning to torn apart by unjust travel bans and other forms of repression. Will you join us?

#2023

Right now, tens of thousands of innocent people are languishing inside Saudi and Egyptian jail cells, unsure of when - or if - they will ever reunite with their loved ones.

Unjust detention tears families apart. At the Freedom Initiative, we're fighting to reunite them.

This Ramadan, join the fight to .

A mother torn from her children.

A son cut off from his father.

A brother who hasn't heard his sister's voice in years.



This Ramadan, we're fighting to torn apart by wrongful detention and other forms of repression.



Join us

#2023