Human rights group Amnesty International has highlighted crackdowns on freedom of speech and political opposition in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt in a report on human rights in the MENA region.
Amnesty said that crackdowns increased significantly across the region and researchers documented abuses in a large number of countries.
The rights group did not limit its commentary to MENA governments, it also criticised those of the West that were willing to overlook the abuses when their interests were at stake.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut.
