8⃣ years ago, reformist scholar Salman al-Odah was arrested in #SaudiArabia for supporting greater religious coexistence & criticizing the government. Today, he remains in prison in solitary confinement & faces the death penalty.

Enough is Enough. #FreeSalmanAlOdah

Authoritarianism & repression won't bring prosperity or security to #Tunisia or the MENA region. "Democracy is the solution," says
@zaghdoudi.bsky.social. #DemocracyMatters

DMI Advisory Group member Nareman Shehadeh Zoabi is a Palestinian human rights lawyer at Adala handling cases related to arbitrary detention, prisoners’ rights & more. What keeps her motivated to keep advocating for human rights & democracy?

📽️ Watch more: https//www.youtube...

The democratic aspirations of the people of the MENA region matter now more than ever.

We asked MEDC's #DemocracyMatters Initiative: What does democracy mean to you?
@zaghdoudist.bsky.social @alaasayeg.bsky.social @yasminoviech.bsky.social

Authoritarian regimes in the MENA increasingly use cybercrime & online content laws to restrict freedom of expression. MEDC's @yasminoviech.bsky.social recently sat down with @zaghdoudist.bsky.social to discuss how we can take back the virtual space.

📹 Watch here: mideastdc.org/events/liber...

A writer says they are not afraid of Trump or his policies, but ashamed of the institutions and intellectuals who folded without a fight. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A human rights lawyer never thought they would again fear that their work, words, or existence could be used against them. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

One advocate who moved to the United States in hope of a safer life doing the work they love finds themselves preparing a "go bag" again. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

What once felt like a distant past is now uncomfortably close again, says a humanitarian aid worker who fled their country after being targeted. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A political scientist sees disturbing warning signs. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A researcher who once thought exile would only take away their home says they are now losing both their home and voice. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A social worker recovering from PTSD finds their old symptoms returning as they witness familiar patterns of repression in the US. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A lawyer who fled surveillance now feels their old fears have returned. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

The fight for justice and freedom of expression doesn't end at the border—it must continue, even in the United States, says a human rights defender. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

One political commentator was hoping to find “true freedom of expression” when they moved to the United States, but were surprised to find increasingly repressive US policies. #DemocracyMatters mideastdc.org/publication/...

A pro-democracy activist wonders if democracy & separation of powers are real concepts in the United States. #DemocracyMatters
mideastdc.org/publication/...

For a legal scholar who fled an authoritarian regime in the MENA region, their conversations in the US now revolve around deleting social media to avoid arrest or searches, just like they did back home: mideastdc.org/publication/...