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Living Archive
Defenders.
An open record of human rights defenders across the Middle East and North Africa. Every entry is a case file — dated, sourced, and kept current.
173
Records on
the open archive
87
Currently held
detained · sentenced · on trial
57
In exile or under
transnational repression
11
In memoriam
killed for their work
The Record
Lawyers
HM-EG-2017-002
Detained
Ahmed Abdelsattar Amasha
Ahmed Abdelsattar Amasha is a lawyer, trade unionist, and environmental defender who documented enforced disappearances and torture in Egypt. He was disappeared…
Medical urgency
Day 3,375 · since 2017-03-10
HM-EG-2020-004
Detained
Sayed Said Khalaf
Sayed Said Khalaf defended families of detainees and advocated for elderly and sick prisoners. He has been held in pretrial detention since…
Day 2,083 · since 2020-09-22
HM-DZ-2024-003
On trial
Sofiane Ouali
Sofiane Ouali is an Algerian lawyer who defends prisoners of conscience and those prosecuted for exercising their fundamental rights. He met with…
Day 696 · since 2024-07-10
HM-TN-2024-007
Released
Sherifa Riahi
Sherifa Riahi is the legal representative of a Tunisian civil society organization prosecuted for aiding irregular migrants. She was arrested in May…
Arrested 2024
HM-SA-2017-001
Imprisoned
Abdulaziz Al-Shubaili
Abdulaziz Al-Shubaili is a lawyer and founding member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association who defended fellow activists in court…
Day 3,184 · since 2017-09-17
HM-XX-2026-004
Imprisoned
Dr. Hadef Al-Owais
Dr. Hadef Al-Owais taught law at UAE University and sat on the International Court of Arbitration. He has been imprisoned since 2012…
Day 5,016 · since 2012-09-11
HM-EG-2026-003
Sentenced
Hoda Abdel-Moneim
Hoda Abdel-Moneim is a retired Egyptian human rights lawyer, mother, and former member of the National Council for Human Rights. Arrested in…
Medical urgency
Day 2,774 · since 2018-11-01