On July 18, world news spread as an Egyptian Court sentenced Coptic Egyptian human rights advocate, Patrick Zaki, to three years of prison for “spreading false news.” After 22 months of pre-trial detention, Zaki was reported to have suffered from physical and mental torture during his time in Egypt. Airport security detained him following his […]
Tag: Arab Spring
How Successful was the Arab Spring’s Only Successful Revolution?
December 17, 2010 is a date Tunisians will never forget. Mohamed Bouazizi, a local resident of Sidi Bouzid was going about his day selling produce on the street corner when a police officer approached him. The officer claimed Bouazizi did not have a license to sell and seized his scale. Infuriated by the poor economic […]
Yemen on the Brink of Civil War
Yemen is on the brink of civil war, after the Houthis, a well-organized group of Shia rebels, put current interim President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi under house arrest, leading to his resignation. Hadi fled the capital city Sana’a in late January and settled in his hometown of Aden, where he claimed the legitimate government resided. He […]
After Every Winter Comes Spring: Tunisia’s Democratic Flowering
On December 17th, 2010, a 26 year-old vegetable-seller named Mohamed Bouazizi had his unlicensed cart and products confiscated by a policewoman in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid. Not only did the police officer demand a large fine from Bouazizi, but she also insulted his dead father and slapped him. Aggrieved, Bouazizi headed to the […]
Falling Forward: The Ramifications of Libya’s Oil Crisis
Oil has fueled the Libyan economy for years, but major clashes between political factions within the nation have produced disastrous consequences for the once lucrative oil industry. Oil was first discovered in Libya in 1959, and the nation became a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) shortly thereafter in 1962. Ever […]
A New Reign in Saudi Arabia
On January 23rd, the global political sphere lost one of its longest standing participants when Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud passed away. King Abdullah, by the age of 90, had officially ruled the kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 2005, but since the nineties effectively managed domestic, security and foreign policy affairs in […]