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ISHR has published ‘scorecards’ for States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2024-2026 to help inform voting States’ decisions in the upcoming election.

Human rights defenders and civil society actors should be able to carry out their work in a safe and enabling environment, without fear of threats, attacks and arbitrary arrests. In light of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of Kuwait due to take place in January 2020, ISHR calls States to urge the Kuwaiti government to repeal repressive legislation and to refrain from criminalising the legitimate activities of human rights defenders.

As challenges and restrictions grow for women human rights defenders in Kuwait, ISHR and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights have urged the UN’s body on women’s rights to explicitly recognise the work of defenders as essential to the promotion, protection and realisation of women's rights.

Kuwait should take immediate steps to protect the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in law and practice and to repeal laws which have the purpose or effect of criminalising human rights advocacy, ISHR told the Human Rights Council today.

Nawaf is the founder of Kuwait Watch and an active human rights defender. Nawaf, who is well known for advocating for the rights of stateless persons and other minorities in Kuwait, was advised on arrival in Geneva for the UPR of Kuwait that an arrest warrant awaits him on return home.

Authorities in Kuwait should immediately cease misusing laws on national security and the status of the emir to criminalise human rights defenders and others exercising the fundamental right to freedom of expression, ISHR said today.