Joey Shea

Gulf States: Protect Workers from Extreme Heat Gulf Cooperation Council countries are exposing migrant workers to yet another deadly summer of extreme heat conditions without adequate protection.

GCC countries are exposing migrant workers to yet another deadly summer of extreme heat conditions without adequate protection.

Migrant workers are unnecessarily dying, experiencing kidney failure, and suffering from other chronic illnesses.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...

Saudi authorities, FIFA, and other employers should ensure that all migrant worker deaths, regardless of perceived cause, time, and place are properly investigated and families of deceased workers are treated with dignity, and receive fair and timely compensation.

Saudi authorities have failed to adequately protect workers from preventable deaths, investigate workplace safety incidents, and ensure timely and adequate compensation for families, including through mandatory life insurance policies and survivors’ benefits.

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Workers Electrocuted, Decapitated, and Falling to Death at Workplaces Scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia die in gruesome yet avoidable workplace-related accidents, including falling from buildings, electrocution, and even decapitation

🚩NEW: @hrw.org finds scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia died in gruesome yet avoidable workplace accidents like falling from buildings, electrocution& decapitation

Deaths are erroneously classified as “natural”&are neither investigated nor compensated

www.hrw.org/news/2025/05...

“The UAE government rejects the existence of political opposition or any opinion that contradicts its policies, so it seeks to silence all voices,” said one individual.

The move represents an escalation of the UAE's transnational repression, targeting not only dissidents but also their family members.

HRW searched for the individuals & companies on global terror and financial sanctions lists, inclg the UN Global Sanctions list, the European Union Sanctions list & the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK.

None of them are included in these lists.

HRW found that all 8 companies are solely registered in the UK & are owned or previously owned by exiled Emirati dissidents/their relatives

The authorities did not inform them prior to the designation, nor was there any opportunity to respond or contest the allegations.

Only 2 of the 11 have been convicted or accused of a terrorist offense though both under questionable circumstances: One was convicted in absentia as part of the grossly unfair UAE94 mass trial of dissidents in 2013. The other was accused in a separate case related the UAE94 case

UAE: Dissidents, Relatives Designated ‘Terrorists’ Emirati authorities have designated as “terrorist” 11 political dissidents and their relatives as well as 8 companies they own, reflecting the country’s indiscriminate use of overbroad counterterroris...

🚩NEW: UAE authorities have designated as “terrorist” 11 political dissidents & relatives as well as 8 companies they own, reflecting the UAE’s indiscriminate use of overbroad counterterrorism laws and contempt for due process.

See our new report here:

www.hrw.org/news/2025/04...

Bulgaria: Saudi Activist at Risk of Deportation Bulgarian authorities should suspend any plans to deport Saudi human rights defender Abdulrahman al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia, and should allow his resettlement to a third country.

20 human rights groups, including @hrw.org , call on Bulgarian authorities to suspend plans to deport Saudi HRD Abdulrahman al-Khalidi to Saudi Arabia.

Bulgarian authorities would violate the Bulgarian, European& international law obligation of nonrefoulement.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

Europe’s Democratic Future Depends on Human Rights It’s been a deeply sobering and troubling few weeks for people who care about the future of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe.

With talk in Europe now of rearmament and the need for new security structures, it's vital European leaders and institutions keep human rights at the centre of their efforts. Democracy depends on it. My new piece for @hrw.org

www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

UAE: Ahmed Mansoor’s 15-Year Sentence Upheld An Emirati court upheld an abusive 15-year sentence on March 4, 2025, against the prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, who was convicted following a fundamentally unfair trial.

Earlier this week an Emirati court upheld an abusive 15-year sentence against prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor.

The UAE continues to target a man who courageously stood up to his abusive govt even when very few would dare.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

None of the detainees were present, and only one of the defendants’ lawyers was able to attend the session.

Little is known about the conditions for the 53 defendants because most are denied visits and calls from family member

Given that the charges are based solely on defendants’ peaceful practice of their human rights and that the convictions were based on a fundamentally unfair trial, Emirati authorities should immediately overturn the convictions and release all defendants

UAE: Unfair Mass Trial Convictions Upheld An Emirati court on March 4, 2025, rejected all appeals by people convicted in the United Arab Emirates’ second largest unfair mass trial, upholding the unfair convictions and abusive sentences of 53 ...

🚩NEW: Yesterday a UAE court rejected all appeals by those convicted in the UAE84 unfair mass trial, upholding the unfair convictions & abusive sentences of 53 HRDs & political dissidents.

The decision reveals the travesty of the UAE’s justice system.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...

With the #Omnibus published, the Commission sides with giant corporations rather than victims of corporate abuse.

Under the pretense of ‘simplification’, the Commission’s guts its own achievements on corporate accountability & abdicates principled leadership in advancing a #sustainable economy.

Saudi Arabia: Public Investment Fund Meeting Whitewashes Abuses Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is sponsoring an investment conference in Miami and further whitewashing the country’s egregious human rights record.

🚩Trump delivered a keynote address at the Saudi PIF-backed investment summit in Miami, an investment conference used to whitewash Saudi's rights record.

PIF investments are a tool of KSA’s influence& help to build uncritical support for MBS’ agenda.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...

The UN should be working to defend freedom of expression at its conferences.... not participating in abuses by host governments.

The UN also threatened to de-badge me on the basis of the below video where I cite the case of retired teached Muhammad al-Ghamdi, who was originally sentenced to death based on his peaceful social media posts:

x.com/hrw/status/1...

Our workshop included case studies from Saudi Arabia and countries in Latin America, but the IGF only censored references to Saudi Arabia.

A small example of @linaalhathloul.bsky.social's speech censored by the UN:

“In Saudi Arabia, laws such as the counter-terrorism law and the anti-cybercrime law define criminal offenses in dangerously vague terms.These laws are routinely used to target peaceful activism and free speech.”

UN Censors Criticism of Saudi Arabia at Internet Conference United Nations officials removed criticisms of the Saudi government from the official record of a UN-organized internet governance conference in Riyadh in December 2024, and retaliated against civil s...

🚩NEW: At the IGF in Riyadh, the UN censored criticism of Saudi Arabia by @linaalhathloul.bsky.social, threatened to revoke my badge & confiscated materials highlighting cases of human rights defenders ⬇️

www.hrw.org/news/2025/02...

Activist tells Saudi-hosted UN forum of 'silencing' of dissent A Saudi human rights activist appeared via a video link Wednesday at a UN forum in the kingdom to denounce the "silencing" of dissent under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

So grateful to have co-hosted this historic session with @ALQST_En in Riyadh where @LinaAlhathloul spoke virtually about Saudi Arabia’s repression of freedom of expression online and the impacts of the new Cybercrime Treaty on human rights.

www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Israel’s Crime of Extermination, Acts of Genocide in Gaza Israeli authorities have intentionally deprived Palestinian civilians in Gaza of adequate access to water since October 2023, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths and thus committing the crime...

The Israeli govt has deliberately denied Palestinians in Gaza the bare minimum water needed to survive. This policy of deprivation, resulting in thousands of deaths,
is nothing short of the crime against humanity of extermination, and an act of genocide. www.hrw.org/news/2024/12...

Saudi Arabia: Hosting UN Internet Conference Amid Crackdown Saudi Arabia is hosting a major United Nations conference on internet governance while dozens of people remain imprisoned for peaceful online speech.

This week Saudi Arabia hosts the IGF while dozens of people remain imprisoned for peaceful online speech.

Many are charged under the country’s abusive counterterrorism law, and the authorities conduct invasive surveillance of civil society members.

www.hrw.org/news/2024/12...

For the first time in nearly a decade, Human Rights Watch has official access to Saudi Arabia.

HRW's @joeyshea.bsky.social is in Riyadh for the 19th Annual Internet Governance Forum.

Learn more ⤵️

Planned UK-Gulf Trade Agreement Risks Implicating the UK in Labor Abuses As the UK draws closer to finalizing a Free Trade Agreement with Gulf countries, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting Saudi Arabia to boost domestic investment.

PM Starmer is set to visit Saudi Arabia to boost investment & as the UK draws closer to finalizing an FTA with the GCC.

The new British govt risks furthering abuses rooted in Britain’s colonial past, esp widespread labor violations against migrant workers.

www.hrw.org/news/2024/12...

So excited to join this amazing panel next week in London. Please join us in person on Dec 11 if you can!

Join us in London on December 11 at the Senate House for a discussion on the outcomes of #SaudiArabia’s reviews by #CEDAW and #CERD next week!