New laws were passed offering migrant workers better legal protections. Despite government measures to control the spread of COVID-19, migrant workers bore the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. The authorities further tightened restrictions on freedom of expression. Women continued to face...

On 10 May, the Qatari Criminal Court of First Instance convicted and sentenced brothers and lawyers Hazza and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri to life in prison on charges including contesting laws ratified by the Emir and organizing unauthorized public meetings. Alongside them, two other men...

Following protests expressing grievance at the recently passed Shura Council election law which discriminates against members of the Al Murra tribe, two Qatari lawyers, brothers Hazza and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri, have been held in solitary confinement since their arbitrary detention in...

Jordanian national Abdullah Ibhais is serving a three-year prison sentence following an unfair trial in Qatar, that was based on his so-called confession which he claims was obtained coercively. On 15 December 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction on charges including misuse of public...

On 4 October 2020, Mohammed al-Sulaiti, a Qatari citizen, was arbitrarily detained after vocally criticizing his government on Twitter. This is the second time he has been arbitrarily detained, having spent five months in detention in 2018 with no charges. He was then put under travel ban with no...

Ronaldo Lopez Ulep’s 15 years’ imprisonment sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation in Qatar on 2 May. His allegations of torture have not yet been investigated.

Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami, a prisoner of conscience, was released on 15 March when the Emir of Qatar pardoned him unconditionally.

Ronaldo Lopez Ulep has had his espionage conviction upheld on appeal in Qatar. His life sentence was reduced to 15 years’ imprisonment; he is expected to appeal.

Filipino national Ronaldo Lopez Ulep is serving a life sentence for espionage in a Qatari prison: he had ‘confessed’ under torture. The verdict on his appeal will be announced on 31 May.

UK nationals Krishna Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev have been released. They are not known to have been charged with any offence.

UK nationals Krishna Prasad Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev have disappeared in Qatar while researching the conditions of migrant workers. They are believed to have been detained by the Qatari authorities and may be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Qatar’s highest court has upheld the conviction and 15-year prison sentence of a poet whose poetry was deemed offensive to the state and its ruler. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Two Qatari activists who had been detained without charge since 22 March 2013 were released on 18 April. The prosecutor’s office told the men there was no case against them, but the Interior Ministry later told both activists they were banned from leaving the country.