The Sudan Solidarity Conference 2026 brought together trade unionists and activists from Sudan, Britain, and beyond to demand an immediate end to the war between Sudan’s two principal militias, the SAF and RSF—a war that has devastated lives, displaced millions, and destroyed Sudan’s future. The conference agreed and endorsed a collective statement, setting out clear demands and concrete steps forward.
Over 350 trade unionists from across the UK and beyond have signed a statement expressing solidarity with British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, after a wave of attacks led by Tory and Reform politicians greeted his arrival in the UK after years as a political prisoner in Egypt. The statement highlights Alaa’s rejection of antisemitism, racism…
As 2025 comes to a close and we step into 2026, we at MENA Solidarity Network reach out in solidarity, gratitude, and revolutionary determination. Explore our roundup of the key articles published since 1 January 2025 — a year of struggle, resistance, and international working-class solidarity across the Middle East and beyond. From war zones and imperialist supply chains to workers uniting across borders, these reports and analyses map the terrain of resistance.
Read, share, reflect, and organise — let 2026 be a year of stronger solidarity, renewed struggle, and internationalist victory.
Statement in solidarity with Alaa Abd el-Fattah We affirm our solidarity with Alaa Abd el-Fattah and extend a warm welcome to him as he is reunited with his family in Britain after spending years unjustly incarcerated alongside thousands of other political prisoners in the jails of a dictatorship for speaking out against human rights abuses.…
When a cartoon becomes a crime, authoritarianism reveals its fear of truth.
Ashraf Omar — cartoonist, translator, and political artist — has been imprisoned for his drawings, accused of terrorism for exposing social and political realities. His case is not an exception, but part of Egypt’s systematic assault on freedom of expression, independent journalism, and dissent. We demand his immediate release. The pen is not a crime.
At a time when Sudan is being torn apart by war, famine, and mass killing and displacement at the hands of both Sudanese militias – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – the case of Lawyer Abo Bakr Mansour Mohamed Hamza shows exactly who pays the price for their struggle for power: ordinary people who try to keep their communities alive.
British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah was released on Monday, 22 September 2025, by a presidential pardon. His release came one year late. He should have walked free in September 2024 after serving his unjust five-year sentence, but the regime refused to count the two years he had already spent in pretrial detention.
Egyptian Trade unionist Shady Mohamed is on hunger strike, his wife has told other activists, protesting against terrible conditions in Burg al-Arab prison where he has been held since last year on charges related to displaying a Palestine solidarity banner. Shady was among 6 people arrested for this simple act of protest and solidarity and…
Kuwaiti blogger Salman Al-Khalidi was extradited from Iraq to Kuwait despite his political refugee status, violating international law. His persecution followed his criticism of Saudi leadership, leading to multiple charges and the revocation of his citizenship. His case underscores the severe repression of free speech in Gulf states and the collaboration between regional authorities.
Leeds University PhD student Salma al-Shehab’s prison sentence has been reduced from 27 years to four years, with an additional four years suspended. However, no release date has been announced. Human rights organizations consider this a minor victory given her unjust treatment for peacefully expressing her views. Her case underscores the Saudi regime’s repression of dissent and basic freedoms. Support for her release must continue.
MENA Solidarity Network 