European Parliament Condemns Human Rights Violations in Bahrain 

by Eldar Mamedov While the Trump administration is escalating tensions with Iran and moving closer to the Persian Gulf monarchies, the European Parliament (EP) took a step in the opposite direction. At its plenary session on February 16, it adopted… Continue Reading

Will Turkey Re-introduce Death Penalty?

by Eldar Mamedov At their meeting on July 18 in Brussels, the EU foreign ministers adopted conclusions on the latest developments in Turkey. Beyond the expected condemnation of the coup attempt and exhortations for the government to show restraint toward… Continue Reading

Israel Shifts Even Further Right

by Naomi Dann The announcement of the appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as defense minister and the negotiations with his Yisrael Beiteinu party to join Israel’s governing coalition should indicate to the United States and to the international community that Israel is… Continue Reading

The Real Reason Why Saudi Arabia Executed Sheikh Nimr

by Shireen Hunter Saudi Arabia finally executed the elderly Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, even though many Muslim and other religious leaders as well as the United Nations and a number of political leaders had urged—at least privately—Saudi Arabia… Continue Reading

The Saudi Executions: Fury in Iran But Not Here

by Thomas W. Lippman The Obama administration’s reaction to the mass executions in Saudi Arabia on New Year’s Day came in the form of a mildly worded statement issued over the holiday weekend by State Department spokesman John Kirby.