Algerian authorities transferred Tunisian lawyer and opposition figure Seifeddine Makhlouf to Tunisia on January 18, 2026, in a move that has drawn strong criticism from the organization Journalists Without Chains, which said the handover violated international law and exposed Makhlouf to a serious risk of political persecution.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon injured eight journalists on January 21, 2026, after strikes hit the town of Qennarit in the Sidon district while media workers were covering developments on the ground, marking a serious escalation in attacks on journalists and media institutions in the region.

The Egyptian authorities bear full responsibility for the death of human rights lawyer Shams al-Din Ahmed Atta Allah, who died inside Tenth of Ramadan Prison after years of arbitrary detention and the deliberate denial of necessary medical care. His death constitutes a grave violation of the right to life and reflects a broader pattern of systematic abuse and impunity within Egypt’s detention system.

The security situation in areas under Houthi militia control has deteriorated to a critical level, marked by a surge in violent crimes against civilians and the near-total absence of legal protection. A systematic policy of impunity shields perpetrators and has turned civilian life—particularly for women, children, journalists, and human rights defenders—into a continuous state of danger.

On the International Day of Education, it is reaffirmed that the right to education in much of the Arab world is no longer equally guaranteed under international law.

The decision to rename the Security Belt Forces and integrate them under the title of “National Security Forces” does not constitute genuine security sector reform. Rather, it represents a dangerous step toward rebranding a documented system of serious violations under a new institutional cover, entrenching impunity and directly undermining any claims of institutional reform, state-building, or the establishment of the rule of law in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital.

An alarming collapse in press and media freedoms is unfolding in Yemen, where journalism has entered one of the most lethal and repressive periods in its modern history, according to a new report by Women Journalists Without Chains.