Bahrain Sentences Nabeel Rajab to Jail over Tweets
Local Editor
Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab was Tuesday sentenced to six months in prison under the pretext of being of insulting public institutions in his tweets, a judicial source said.
But Rajab, who was released from custody one month after his arrest on October 1, could stay out of prison on bail if he pays 200 dinars , the source told AFP, citing the court ruling.Condemned by Amnesty International as "a blow to freedom of expression", the decision is subject to appeal, according to the prosecution.
Rajab was arrested after posting comments on Twitter about the interior and defense ministries.
In one of the messages deemed offensive, Rajab charged that many Bahrainis fighting with extremists in Syria were former Bahraini security forces personnel who had developed extremist views while in service.
Rajab, who has led anti-government marches and heads the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was freed last May after serving two years in jail for taking part in civilian protests.
His new conviction came one day after prosecutors charged Bahrain's opposition chief Sheikh Ali Salman with the alleged "attempting to overthrow the regime" and set a January 28 trial date.
International rights groups have condemned the trials against opponents of the regime ruling the Gulf state.
"Nabeel Rajab is being unjustly punished simply for posting tweets deemed insulting to the authorities. His conviction is a blow to freedom of expression -- it must be quashed," said Amnesty's Said Boumedouha, urging his immediate and unconditional release.
Human Rights Watch and the Gulf Center for Human Rights on Friday urged Bahrain's Western allies to pressure the kingdom to drop charges against Rajab, saying he should have never been charged.
"Instead of persecuting activists who dare to speak out freely the Bahraini authorities should repeal these repressive laws and uphold the right to freedom of expression," said Boumedouha.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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