European Parliament Calls for an Arms Embargo against Saudi Arabia

by Eldar Mamedov Last week the European Parliament (EP) adopted a non-binding resolution calling for an introduction of an EU-wide embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The resolution, focused on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, condemned the violent and… Continue Reading →

Saudi Dissident Gets EU’s Top Human Rights Prize

by Eldar Mamedov On October 29, the European Parliament awarded the EU’s top human rights prize—the Sakharov prize for freedom of expression—to Saudi blogger Raif Badawi. Saudi authorities accused Badawi of blasphemy and sentenced him to 1,000 lashes and 10… Continue Reading →

Don’t Ally with Saudi Arabia against Russia

by Eldar Mamedov While the usual suspects flood the US media with ideas on how to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over his audacious move in Syria, the European Parliament adopted a new resolution on October 8 on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.… Continue Reading →

The EU’s Emerging Post-Deal Iran Strategy

by Eldar Mamedov Although the debate in the US on the Iran nuclear deal is heated and ongoing, the EU is quietly forging ahead with its own post-deal Iran strategy. Unlike in the US, there is no need for parliamentary… Continue Reading →

European Parliament Condemns Saudi Aggression against Yemen 

by Eldar Mamedov In the aftermath of the historic nuclear deal with Iran, as attention increasingly focuses on Iran’s supposedly menacing regional policies, the European Parliament (EP) has turned to a different target. At its plenary session in Strasbourg in… Continue Reading →