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| Bahraini human rights activist gets three-year sentence for demonstration | Bahraini human rights activist gets three-year sentence for demonstration |
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| A prominent Bahraini human rights activist has been sentenced to three years in prison for attending an "illegal demonstration". | A prominent Bahraini human rights activist has been sentenced to three years in prison for attending an "illegal demonstration". |
| Nabeel Rajab, who is already serving a three-month sentence for posting anti-government comments on Twitter, is the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and one of the most outspoken critics of the island state's government. | Nabeel Rajab, who is already serving a three-month sentence for posting anti-government comments on Twitter, is the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and one of the most outspoken critics of the island state's government. |
| His lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, said each of three cases against him yielded a year imprisonment, for a total of three years. Al-Jishi said he plans to appeal the ruling. Rajab will be sentenced later this month for statements he made on Twitter calling for the prime minister to step down and discussing his visit to a village outside of the capital Manama. | His lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, said each of three cases against him yielded a year imprisonment, for a total of three years. Al-Jishi said he plans to appeal the ruling. Rajab will be sentenced later this month for statements he made on Twitter calling for the prime minister to step down and discussing his visit to a village outside of the capital Manama. |
| Amnesty International has identified Rajab as a prisoner of conscience. Speaking last month, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy programme director called for the release of Rajab and 22 other detainees: "The charade of justice has gone on too long, all prisoners of conscience must be set free immediately and unconditionally." | Amnesty International has identified Rajab as a prisoner of conscience. Speaking last month, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy programme director called for the release of Rajab and 22 other detainees: "The charade of justice has gone on too long, all prisoners of conscience must be set free immediately and unconditionally." |
| Rajab's verdict comes two days after the Bahraini authorities postponed verdicts in the trial of 13 other dissidents. The detainees include Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a political opposition leader, and Ebrahim Sharif, the leader of a cross-sectarian political party and one of the few Sunni Bahrainis to have been jailed for his part in the protest movement. The trial has come to be understood as a microcosm of the broader political dynamics at play in the country. | Rajab's verdict comes two days after the Bahraini authorities postponed verdicts in the trial of 13 other dissidents. The detainees include Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a political opposition leader, and Ebrahim Sharif, the leader of a cross-sectarian political party and one of the few Sunni Bahrainis to have been jailed for his part in the protest movement. The trial has come to be understood as a microcosm of the broader political dynamics at play in the country. |
| Jane Kinninmont, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said: "There remains much speculation that the case could be used as a political bargaining chip in any efforts to prepare the ground for the fresh political dialogue for which Bahrain's western allies are pressing." | Jane Kinninmont, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said: "There remains much speculation that the case could be used as a political bargaining chip in any efforts to prepare the ground for the fresh political dialogue for which Bahrain's western allies are pressing." |
| The trials take place against an increasingly fractured political backdrop, as politicians have struggled to move beyond the uneasy stalemate created by last year's anti-government uprising. In February last year, Bahrain saw mass protests calling for constitutional reform and for the removal of the world's longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The uprising was followed by a royally appointed commission (BICI) to examine the handling of the unrest. However, opinion is divided over the extent to which its recommended reforms have been implemented. | The trials take place against an increasingly fractured political backdrop, as politicians have struggled to move beyond the uneasy stalemate created by last year's anti-government uprising. In February last year, Bahrain saw mass protests calling for constitutional reform and for the removal of the world's longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The uprising was followed by a royally appointed commission (BICI) to examine the handling of the unrest. However, opinion is divided over the extent to which its recommended reforms have been implemented. |
| While the government claims that Bahrain no longer has any political prisoners, opponents estimate there are up to 1,400. Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main opposition group, recently claimed that 240 people were arrested in July alone, with over 100 injured with birdshot and rubber bullets. | While the government claims that Bahrain no longer has any political prisoners, opponents estimate there are up to 1,400. Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main opposition group, recently claimed that 240 people were arrested in July alone, with over 100 injured with birdshot and rubber bullets. |
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