Скачать или смотреть Making the case for human rights and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa

On June 13, 2024, Saudi-American human rights defender Areej al-Sadhan and Palestinian-American emergency room physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad, MD joined MEDC's Yasmin Omar for a conversation on making the case for human rights and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. The conversation was held during an event that brought together human rights defenders, democracy advocates, policymakers, and other friends in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the launch of the Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), a merger of the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the Freedom Initiative.

Areej al-Sadhan is a Saudi-American human rights defender and the sister of jailed humanitarian aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, who was forcibly disappeared in 2018 during a mass crackdown on critics and rights activists in Saudi Arabia. In 2021, her brother was sentenced to 20 years in jail followed by a 20 year travel ban in a secret sham trial over satirical tweets. Since then, Areej has fought tirelessly for her brother’s freedom and the freedom of all political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Thaer Ahmad, MD, is a board certified emergency medicine physician and a board member for MedGlobal, a medical humanitarian NGO that works at building healthcare capacity and reducing health inequities. He has traveled to Gaza on several medical missions and recently spent three weeks volunteering at El Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Since returning, he has spoken out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for humanitarian aid and services to reach the people.

MEDC is a U.S.-based nonprofit and nonpartisan advocacy organization that works with the people of the Middle East and North Africa to challenge authoritarian systems, free the unjustly detained, and advocate for U.S. policies that protect human rights and advance a bold vision for democracy. We envision a Middle East and North Africa where democracy, human rights, and the freedoms of all people are upheld and protected.