Opening music: Marhaba, by Tabiba women’s drum and vocal ensemble

Welcome by Co-host Khalid Ibrahim, GCHR’s Executive Director

Regional analysis of digital repression by Co-host Marwa Fatafta, Access Now’s MENA Policy and Advocacy Director.

Saudi Arabia: Taha Alhajji, legal director of the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR), will talk about the imprisoned Saudi women human rights defenders Salma Al-Shehab, Nourah Al-Qahtani, Israa Al-Ghomgham and Manahel Al-Otaibi as well as Osama Khalid and Ziad Al-Sufyani, the two imprisoned Saudi Wikipedians..

Palestine: Artwork including We Are Burning, by artist Mahasen Al-Ktheeb, who was killed on 18 October 2024, and Heba Zagout and Fathi Gaben, who also died in the past year, as well art by artist Malak Mattar, including her mural “No Words”.

UAE: Introduction about #UAE84 case, and videos of Ahmed Mansoor and the poem Rose at the Door by Ahmed Mansoor by Manu Luksch.
Khalid Ibrahim, Executive Director of GCHR, to read Ahmed Mansoor’s poetry.
Video of Dr. Mohammed Al-Roken, from the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center campaign.

Egypt: Online activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah (the first blogger to be arrested in the region, who was due for release on 29 Sept, but remains behind bars). His aunt Ahdaf Soueif will read from his work and suggest actions.

Bahrain: Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director, Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy will speak about campaigns to free HRDs including Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, and reprisals facing Bahraini activists. We will show a video by Maryam Al-Khawaja about her father, and Khalid Ibrahim will say a few words.

Iran: WHRD Shiva Nazarahari, researcher and campaign coordinator at Femena, to read poetry by imprisoned WHRD Mahvash Sabet, whom she was in prison with, and show art and cartoons from imprisoned WHRD Atenah Fargadani.

Lebanon: Umama Hamido, artist and experimental filmmaker in exile, to read from her work “My two little boys” and show visuals

Closing Music: Chbik Nsitini (video) by Yasser Jradi, a Tunisian musician and activist who passed away in August 2024, introduced by Yasser Jradi’s niece Feryel Jradi Charfeddine, Programs Lead, HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement

Thank you to our partners!