Academic and theatre director Ghotboddin Sadegh has come under fire after saying he wants to 'purge' a Tehran district from the LGBTQ+ community.
In-depth: Amnesty International's annual report for 2020/21 reveals the scope of the abuses Middle Eastern governments perpetrated while the pandemic was raging.
Iraqi-Kurdish MPs slams arrest of LGBTQ+ activists in Iraq
An Iraqi-Kurdish MP criticised the arrests last week of people 'suspected' of being part of the LGBTQ+ community in Sulaimani.
Exit from women's treaty splits Turkey's activists
A top aide in Erdogan's government has said withdrawal from the treaty is due to the LGBTQ movement's push to normalise homosexuality.
Israeli-Palestinian event refused advertising space for 'controversial' memorial service
Combatants for Peace were denied advertising billboards by an Israeli company, who claimed the adverts were too controversial.
Tunisia rights activist walks free after appeal
Tunisian activist Rania Amdouni was released after having been sentenced to six months in jail for insulting police officers.
Turkish communist-led municipality to give LGBTQ workers Pride holiday
A new agreement between the municipality and a public workers' union offers extended leave to a variety of groups.
Palestinian-Israeli lawmaker slams rival for 'being used' by Netanyahu
The United Arab List broke away from other Palestinian-Israeli parties over its support for the Likud Party.
White supremacist propaganda surged in 2020, report says
The Anti-Defamation League has reported a rise in the amount of white supremacist propaganda released in the US last year.
Amnesty urges release of Tunisian LGBTQ activist
The human rights organisation has called on Tunisian authorities to drop the charges against Rani Amdouni ahead of her appeal hearing on ...
Polarisation gnaws at Syria's hopes for reconciliation
Comment: Ideological polarisation in Syria has left no room for nuance, and deprived Syrians of the social fabric necessary for reconciliation, ...
The female DJs smashing boundaries of social gender inequality
We crossed continents to speak with female DJs who have cultivated a spectrum of projects in the face of political instability and gender ...
Tunisians protest to demand release of jailed activist
Rania Amdouni, a 26-year-old LGBT rights campaigner, has been the target of a smear campaign by police unions after taking part in protests ...
How Palestinian-singer Bashar Murad challenges conservative norms with music
The New Arab Meets: Palestinian singer-songwriter Bashar Murad who uses his music to confront conservative norms, the Israeli occupation, and ...
Tunisian activist jailed for 'insulting' police while lodging complaint
The lawyer of a Tunisian gay rights and democracy activist said she was accused of 'insulting' police officers and sentenced to prison while ...
Libya: Ten years after uprising, abusive militias evade justice
It is the 10-year anniversary of the overthrowing of Gaddafi, and not much as changed, Amnesty International argues.
Myanmar coup leader: 'Join hands' with army for democracy
The leaders of Myanmar’s coup have called on people to work with them for democracy, as people continue to protest on the streets.
In transient Dubai, expats struggle to find love
Expatriates in Dubai are failing to find love, with some put off by ostentatious displays of wealth.
A gradual return to dictatorship in Tunisia?
Comment: Tunisians' biggest fear remains the return to a dictatorial regime that crippled their country. Recent events suggest they have good ...
Erdogan compares LGBTQ+ and student protestors to terrorists
'This country will not be a place where terrorists prevail. We will never allow this', Erdogan said when speaking about LGBTQ+ and ...
Twitter restricts 'hateful' LGBTQ posts by Turkish interior minister
Two of Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu's tweets have now been restricted for 'violating the Twitter rules around hateful conduct'.
The racist legacy of outgoing US President Donald Trump
It is Donald Trump's last official day as President of the United States, and his departure is a good time to look back on his problematic ...
Ultra-Orthodox Israeli rabbi says vaccine ‘can turn people gay’
An ultra-Orthodox Israeli rabbi told his followers the Covid-19 vaccine is a global conspiracy to “establish a new world order” and "turn people ...
Deplatforming Trump is no atonement for tech's sins abroad
Comment: Debate over deplatforming Trump misses the point: That from India to Myanmar, Silicon Valley has failed to police hate speech for ...
It's long been clear that Joe Biden would find some role for Pete Buttigieg in his administration.