Prisoner of conscience and human rights defender, Dr Ahmed Abdullah, had his detention renewed for a further 15 days on 7 May. He has been detained since 25 April solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Veteran activist, film maker and former political prisoner, Hishamuddin Rais, faces up to nine months in prison under the Sedition Act in Malaysia for his peaceful calls for electoral reform. The final appeal date has been set for 16 May.

Ildefonso Zamora, an environment and territory defender from an Indigenous community in central Mexico, has been detained since November 2015 in an apparent attempt to stop him from speaking out against logging in the Great Water Forest in his ancestral territory.

Venezuelan human rights defender Humberto Prado Sifontes has been threatened for his work examining prisons. Humberto, his family and his colleagues from the NGO Venezuelan Prison Observatory (Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones) are at risk.

Three death row prisoners were moved on 8 May to Indonesia’s Nusakambangan prison island, where 13 executions were carried out in 2015.

Omani writer, journalist and human rights activist Sulaiman al-Ma’mari has been detained since 28 April. He has been denied any access to his family or lawyer.

Omani poet, writer, film critic and human rights defender, Abdullah Habib was released without charge on 4 May.

Iranian activist Amir Amirgholi was sentenced in early 2016 to 19 years and six months in prison following an hour-long trial on charges that stem from his peaceful activism.

Activist Dmitry Vorobyovsky was forcibly taken from his home to the Voronezh Regional Neurological Dispensary on the evening of 6 May.