Stories about Middle East & North Africa
26 June 2019
Turkey’s ‘Academics for Peace’ defend their beliefs from prison cells and exile
Turkish universities are being gutted of critical thinkers while academics serve time for showing solidarity with their fellow citizens.
17 June 2019
As battle for Istanbul reaches fever pitch, Turkey's ruling party regrets its pop culture problem
As the clock ticks down on the rerun Istanbul municipal election, the tension is getting unbearable.
17 May 2019
Netizen Report: Amid WhatsApp attacks, advocates launch legal challenge against Israeli malware maker
Spyware makers exploit a security flaw in WhatsApp, Singapore bans false information and Somalia plans to shut down social media during school exams.
8 May 2019
Mauritanian blogger escaped the death penalty, but remains behind bars
Ould Mkhaitir was prosecuted for writing an article in which he criticised the role of religion in Mauritania’s caste system.
3 May 2019
Running counter: An interview with a French publisher of Turkish literature
"Kontr is a publishing house, and a home where one invites the ones he likes, it is not a factory aimed at producing goods, labels or at making money."
1 May 2019
‘Envision a new war': the Syrian Archive, corporate censorship and the struggle to preserve public history online
Social media companies are censoring images of war. The Syrian Archive is working to preserve them.
30 April 2019
Jailed Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor's life is at risk, after six weeks on hunger strike
Mansoor was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015. He has been jailed multiple times since 2011.
26 April 2019
Netizen Report: Saudi Arabian authorities arrest three bloggers and execute 37 prisoners, several of them protesters
Saudi Arabia's assault on free speech continues, Careem might be sharing your number with drivers, and the internet is still shutdown in Chad.
23 April 2019
A look at United Arab Emirate's renewable energy goals
The UAE’s climate commitment for 2021 is “is not consistent with holding warming to below 2°C, let alone limiting it to 1.5°C as required under the Paris Agreement.”
19 April 2019
Sex abuse and harassment cases prompt protests at Turkey's university campuses
"He forced himself on me...He hit my head three or four times on the floor. I passed out. When I opened my eyes, it was 1.30 AM."
16 April 2019
Material Culture art exhibition communicates deep personal experiences to transcend cultural borders
The exhibition features the work of five Iran-born artists who use “nonrepresentational forms” and a range of materials to create a visual language that communicates deep personal experiences and transcends...
15 April 2019
Jailed UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor continues hunger strike
Mansoor is serving ten years in jail after a court convicted him of publishing false information and rumours on social media.
The scent of revolution: The story behind Sudan's legendary perfume label remix
Artist Amado Alfadni transforms Sudan's iconic Bint El Sudan perfume label into a revolutionary message.
13 April 2019
Inside the Lebanese campaign to stop a World Bank-funded dam project
An anti-dam project campaign is trying to "contest the World Bank's ill-advised and destructive water policies in Lebanon."
12 April 2019
Free by day, jailed by night: Egyptian activists speak out against conditional release
Activists, who have recently been released from prison, only enjoy freedom from 6am to 6pm.
11 April 2019
Women are leading the protests in Sudan
“Women are front, left and center of the revolution. When people started protesting, they were like, ‘Women should stay at home.’ But we were like — no.”
10 April 2019
Four real-life locations that could have featured in Game of Thrones
As viewers gear up for one last dose of dynastic squabbling, political intrigue and looming supernatural doom, four actual locations that wouldn't be out of place on Westeros and Essos.
9 April 2019
In landmark decision, Lebanese military court rules that homosexuality is not a crime
The good news was soon tempered by the fact that the army is seeking to appeal the court so that the four individuals are charged with crimes.
8 April 2019
Morocco’s Hirak movement has gone quiet, but the crackdown on independent media continues
The movement triggered a backlash for independent journalists and people who wanted to document the protests and ensuing crackdown.
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.
