December 10 marks the Human Rights Day that is observed annually to commemorate the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day. This year’s theme is “everyone to stand up for someone's rights!” as we are faced with countless challenges that compromise the founding principles of international human rights bill. We have realized that the situation of human rights violations in the gulf countries including but not limited to, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, is rather distressing and dreadful, despite the efforts that have been put forward by the civil society and international community.   Mainly attributed to extremist movements, message of intolerance and hatred our core values and fundamental rights are under attack. More than ever now is the time to reaffirm our common humanity and vow to make a real difference in this regard. Although we have seen some progress in the gulf region in the field of human rights, the fight for human rights is not even close to victory and we could not celebrate as of yet. We are deeply concerned by the ongoing deterioration of human rights and the humanitarian situation in the region. Crimes against humanity, serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are common, and more often than not civilians are the main victims. Mass execution of prisoners of conscious and further repression against human rights activists persists across the Middle East. As such, Bahrain’s human rights climate remains highly problematic where the government has imposed harsh censorship and sharply curtailed political life, and has jailed and tortured thousands, imposing capital punishments. Of note, dozens have been stripped of their citizenship, members of the political opposition and human rights activists face arbitrary arrest and prosecution. Further, despite several call from the international community to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation, the Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny human rights defenders and others of their liberty, and deprive them their basic right to freedoms of expression, association and assembly.  Saudi Arabia has continued a sweeping crackdown on human rights activists. All of the country’s prominent and independent human rights defenders have been imprisoned, threatened into silence or have fled the country. More and more have been sentenced to years in prison under the country’s 2014 counter-terror law. Of note, after years of political turmoil and thanks to Saudi led military coalition and forces loyal to the president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Yemen is in a major human rights and humanitarian crisis.  Saudi led military coalition is carrying out a devastating air bombardment campaign in Yemen that could amount to war crimes. Nevertheless, despite this painful fact, the international community, in particular the relevant UN human rights bodies have refused to publicly name and shame these totalitarian regimes, thus giving such intolerable act a free pass time and again. ICSFT call up on the international community to urge these regimes, in particular Saudi and Bahraini governments, to reaffirm their commitment to respect the rights of everyone, in particular the right to freedom of religion and to freedom of opinion and expression, which is enshrined in the fundamental international human rights instruments. We urge in the strongest terms the UN human rights bodies, in particular the Human Rights Council, to condemn and put an end to government reprisal in the form of execution, arrest, and detention of freedom fighters and human rights defenders in the Middle East. Such a step will hail the wounds and deter further senseless violations of fundamental human rights. We also call up on the United Nations and relevant stakeholders, to intensify its efforts to prevent further executions and vile human rights abuses in the above mentioned countries.  As well to condemn the Saudi government, and to prosecute the authors of these horrendous violations.