Featured stories about Middle East & North Africa
Stories about Middle East & North Africa
30 September 2016
An Iranian-Canadian Academic Is Released, but Iran's Crackdown on Women's Rights Activists Continues
Efforts to increase women's participation in February's parliamentary elections were met with a campaign of repression from hardline institutions in Iran.
29 September 2016
Kuwait Detains Activist Sara Al-Drees for Insulting the Country's Ruler
The pro-democracy activist has previously served jail time for the same charge.
26 September 2016
Jordanian Authorities Impose Media Gag After Writer's Killing
Jordanian authorities have banned media coverage of the assassination of Nahed Hattar, a writer who was shot dead on September 25 by a gunman in the capital Amman.
24 September 2016
Two Palestinian Ex-Prisoners Open Up Ramallah's First Food Truck
After spending years in an Israeli prison, these two Palestinian men are hoping their concept for an urban food truck catches on in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Yemen's ‘Forgotten War’ Intensifies After Saudi-Led Air Strike in Al Hudaydah
Earlier this week, Saudi-led airstrikes struck Yemen's key port city of Al Hudaydah, killing at least 30 people.
23 September 2016
Iran Executes Hundreds of People Each Year in Its UN-Funded War on Drugs
Those who are executed are often individuals who are marginalized in Iranian society, such as undocumented migrants and refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan and ethnic and religious minorities.
Reformist Editor Arrested Ahead of Iranian President’s Trip to the United Nations
Sadra Mohaghegh, the social affairs editor of the reformist Shargh newspaper, is well known for his reports on environmental issues and informative social media postings.
22 September 2016
Netizen Report: Internet Shutdowns Are Ever-Present in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
While telecommunications cuts continue in North Sinai, Russians contemplate a porn-free Internet and a Kuwaiti royal faces jail time for insulting the emir on Snapchat.
In Bulgaria, an Example of How Refugees Need Not Be a Problem, but a Solution
Refugees can help solve shortages of workers—if they're given the chance.
21 September 2016
Expelled by Assad's Forces, Daraya Residents Receive a Hero's Welcome in Rebel-Held Syria
"You’re from Daraya, sir. You have everything. You’re our teachers."
20 September 2016
The UAE Has Avoided an ‘Arab Spring’ by Systematically Repressing Critical Speech
Wary of an Arab-Spring like uprising within its borders, the UAE government launched an unprecedented crackdown on critics and activists.
19 September 2016
He Supported Bombing Syria a Little Too Eagerly, Now RuNet Pioneer Faces Prison
Anton Nossik faces two years in a penal colony for saying that Syria should be "Wiped from the Face of the Earth."
17 September 2016
A 10-Year-Old Girl Makes Her Pitch to Western Powers for Peace in Yemen
One-quarter of the civilians killed in the Yemen war have been children.
11 September 2016
Egyptian Mothers Take On Female Genital Mutilation, Pinning Hopes on Younger Generations
Mothers are leading the fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt, pinning their hopes on younger and future generations.
One Syrian Photographer's Last Letter to the World
Shamel Al-Ahmad was a photographer from Aleppo who chose to stay behind to tell his city's story to the world. This was his last letter.
Commemorating Biljana Garvanlieva, a Macedonian Filmmaker Who Gave Voice to Marginalized Women
"As an engaged documentary author my motivation is to break the existing image about women in Macedonia."
8 September 2016
Algerian Court Upholds Conviction of Activist Jailed for Insulting Islam on Facebook
Despite having his sentenced decreased by two years, Bouhafs will still remain in jail for expressing his views.
7 September 2016
Angered by Mobile App Censorship, Saudis Ask: ‘What's the Point of Having Internet?’
Saudi Arabia, which already blocks WhatsApp, Viber and Skype, has angered users by blocking the messaging and voice calling app LINE.
Hackers Exploit Android Flaw to Target Iranian Activists
Suspected state-sponsored hackers have intensified their attempts to break into the online accounts of Iranian rights activists in recent weeks by exploiting security vulnerabilities in Android smartphones.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Afef Abrougui is Advox Editor for the Middle East and North Africa. Email her story ideas related to freedom of expression online.
Lova Rakotomalala is the French editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
