The sister of a murdered woman from Ciudad Juárez is the latest activist in the border city to suffer an aggression against her person or property. On the evening of Feb. 16, armed men set fire to the house of Malu García Andrade, while she was attending a hunger strike/protest encampment in support of other human rights activists under siege. No one was injured in the fire, but Garcia's home suffered serious damages.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at a congressional hearing Feb. 17 that Guantánamo Bay is unlikely to be closed because of security concerns. Responding to a question from the Senate Armed Forces Committee, Gates said that the odds of closing the detention facility are "very, very low," particularly because of congressional opposition, the difficulty in predicting which detainees are likely to return to terrorist activities and restrictions on detainees being brought to the US for trial under the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act of 2011. Gates made his comments one day after CIA Director Leon Panetta told Congress that, if captured, Osama bin Laden and his second-in-command would probably be sent to Guantánamo Bay. At his first press briefing on Feb. 16, press secretary Jay Carney said that President Barack Obama still aims to close Guantánamo, despite Panetta's comments.

Three Turkish journalists allegedly involved with aiding the Ergenekon coup plot were jailed Feb. 18 amid foreign concerns for the treatment of journalists within the country. Members of the Ergenekon plot allegedly planned to assassinate prominent members of Turkey's Christian and Jewish minority groups, blame Islamic terrorists for the deaths and use this to delegitimize the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Soner Yalcin, the owner of Oda TV, an online news website that has been critical of the Turkish government, and two of his colleagues were formally arrested following several days of interrogations. The three were detained during a police raid that followed an eight-month investigation by authorities. US officials have voiced concerns over the treatment of journalists in Turkey, while Turkish officials have warned other countries not to become involved in their domestic matters.

Tens of thousands of flag-waving Egyptians filled Cairo's Tahrir Square Feb. 18 to celebrate the fall of Hosni Mubarak and pressure the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to deliver on pledges of reform. A military band in full dress uniform played patriotic music to widespread cheers, but demands included the release of detained protesters still being held by the military. The Coalition of the Revolution Youth called the gathering to "remember the martyrs of freedom and dignity and justice," after at least 365 were killed and 5,500 injured in the protests that brought down Mubarak, by the Health Ministry's official estimate. (Middle East Online, Feb. 18)

Three protesters were killed in street clashes in the cities of Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan Feb. 18. Apparent supporters of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) looted several offices of the Goran opposition party. Protests against corruption, poor basic services and high unemployment in several cities across Iraq also left more than 100 people wounded. (Middle East Online, Feb. 18)

Security forces fired on hundreds of mourners marching toward Bahrain's Pearl Square Feb. 18, with a helicopter spraying fire on protesters as they fled. Marchers were chanting "Peaceful, peaceful" when the troops opened fire. At least 50 were wounded. The funeral march was held to honor those killed in protests the previous day. (NYT, AP, NPR, Feb. 18)

Amnesty International (AI) on Feb. 17 released a report asserting new evidence that the the Supreme Military Council of Egypt has been torturing protester-detainees. Through various detainee accounts, AI stated that individuals were tortured "to intimidate protesters and to obtain information about plans for the protests." In addition, protesters contend that they were told to confess that they were trained by the Israeli or Iranian governments. AI's director for the Middle East and North Africa Malcolm Smart stated, "The Egyptian military authorities have committed publicly to creating a climate of freedom and democracy after so many years of state repression. Now they must match their words with direct and immediate action."

A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled Feb. 15 that former Somali prime minister and defense minister Mohamed Ali Samantar is not entitled to legal immunity from civil lawsuits. Samantar, who has lived in the greater Washington DC area for more than 15 years, was sued in 2004 by two Somali men who alleged he spearheaded a campaign of ethnic repression against the northern Somali Isaaq clan during his tenure in office.