Bahraini court refuses to free human rights activist Nabeel Rajab

Published time: October 08, 2012 17:33
Edited time: October 08, 2012 21:33
Nabeel Rajab (Reuters / Hamad I Mohammed)

A Bahraini court has rejected a request from Nabeel Rajab’s defense team to suspend his sentence and release him from jail. The Human rights activist is serving three years term for “participation in illegal demonstrations.”

­The request was made by Rajab's lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi.

Nabeel Rajab is expected to appear before the Bahraini Appeals Court on October 16.

Meanwhile, Rajab went on ”dry” hunger strike on October, 6, after he was allowed out of jail for three days to bury his mother but then was suddenly barred in the first day from attending a condolence gathering.

Bahraini authorities claimed that Rajab was not allowed to stay out of prison longer because he violated the terms of his release and "delivered a speech inciting mourners to stage illegal protests". However Rajab argued that his speech was a "peaceful expression of opinion."

Rajab has been in police custody since July 9, and on August 16 a lower Bahraini court sentenced him to three years for “involvement in illegal practices, inciting gatherings and calling for unauthorized marches through social networking sites.”

The court has recently satisfied the lawyers’ request to merge Rajab’s three cases related to his participation in rallies into one single appeal.

The three-year sentence followed a three-month prison term, handed down to him on Jul9th, for posting anti-government messages on Twitter.

In August, Rajab was cleared of defamation, winning his legal battle against the three-month sentence for allegedly r criticizing the country’s Prime Minister on Twitter, where Rajab has over 170,000 followers.

Rajab is a fierce critic of the Bahraini authorities and a prominent international human rights activist. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Middle East Division of Human Rights Watch.

He is also one of Bahrain’s best-known bloggers. A position that hasn’t deminished, despite his prison term.

Bahrain has been repeatedly criticized for violence and repression towards opposition activists.

Thousands have been arrested and put on military trial since the uprisings began a year ago. The country’s Shiite opposition is pushing for a transition to democracy and greater representation in the country’s Sunni government.

Despite Washington’s calls for Bahrain to negotiate with the opposition, clashes continue to erupt on a daily basis in the turmoil-afflicted nation.

Amnesty International says a total of 60 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence began on February 14, 2011. The Bahraini interior ministry says that more than 700 people, including a number of police officers, have been injured in protests.

Comments (3)

My Love for Sham (unregistered) 08.10.2012 22:01

This Sunni/Shia thing is a red herring! What the intra-religious turmoil is all about is the evil of Wahhabiism and its ambition to shove this evil down the throats of Sunnis and Shias, both of which refuse to 'bow down' to the King of Saudi Arabia, who conveniently self-styled himself as 'Custodian of The 2 Holy Mosques' to win the hearts and minds of Muslims, a ploy that has failedregionally and internationally. This change in title has not/will not do anything to change Sunnis' and Shias' view of the evil and murderous phenomenon of Wahhabiism. Too arrogant to accept this rejection of  this evil, sadistic and religious-imperiasti c cult, the Saudi King and his henchmen and his lackeys, have now embarked on a journey of using mercenaries to do their work for them. No, Sunnis and Shias have been happy neighbours for years until Saudis started using oil revenue to divide and rule! What makes this Wahhabi phenomenon more dangerous is that it it is supported by the Zionists and The US, both who stand to benefit from a re-partitioned ME. .      

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T (unregistered) 08.10.2012 21:12

T (unregistered) wrote in #1I'm a rooted sunny. But believe that shias and sunnis should not fight. Sunnis should not take away shias freedom and shias should not take away freedom from sunnis. But both need to understand that they are showed the movie that hit them both, so don't hit both, show freedom, and that they can live with eachother. Or else they will be abused, while they believe in the same book. The Book Allah said he would protect, and Allah didn't say he would protect any other book or preaching, for Koran is the book Allah protected. Bahrainian king should show he is a King and not just helper of sunnis. Same goes for Saudi royals, they might have Mekkah, but freedom they must show for all Muslims and all other people, aslong as they don't attack them.Prophet Mohammad started by hiding from oppressing, he was oppressed, he lived with his people outside of other people, till they had no choice, and walked without a fight to Mekkah and alot of people there followed them. And so Surat-Tabat came. It's a shame that after Prophet Mohammad, all muslims fought against eachother, killing his brother in law, killing all the innocent unbeliever s, muslims fighting by evil blood, I don't believe Prophet Mohammad took away prisoners head, I believe he send messengers telling them the way of Islam, and if they were killed he might have attacked. That showed messengers were not told to turn back, but killed, so taken away their freedom. In anyway I believe in Koran, prophet Mohammad, Jesus, Mozes and all the other prophets and for what their words was not changed or abused. And I believe in Gods first shown at Adam and Eve, full freedom but not take away freedom from others.I'm human and may make mistakes, but didn't mean to say brother in law, can't say I said, as I type some texts very fast. I meant to say Sayed Ali ibn Abu Talib. I'm forgettable sometimes, as some say might say, a force keeps me weak.

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T (unregistered) 08.10.2012 19:36

I'm a rooted sunny. But believe that shias and sunnis should not fight. Sunnis should not take away shias freedom and shias should not take away freedom from sunnis. But both need to understand that they are showed the movie that hit them both, so don't hit both, show freedom, and that they can live with eachother. Or else they will be abused, while they believe in the same book. The Book Allah said he would protect, and Allah didn't say he would protect any other book or preaching, for Koran is the book Allah protected. Bahrainian king should show he is a King and not just helper of sunnis. Same goes for Saudi royals, they might have Mekkah, but freedom they must show for all Muslims and all other people, aslong as they don't attack them.Prophet Mohammad started by hiding from oppressing, he was oppressed, he lived with his people outside of other people, till they had no choice, and walked without a fight to Mekkah and alot of people there followed them. And so Surat-Tabat came. It's a shame that after Prophet Mohammad, all muslims fought against eachother, killing his brother in law, killing all the innocent unbeliever s, muslims fighting by evil blood, I don't believe Prophet Mohammad took away prisoners head, I believe he send messengers telling them the way of Islam, and if they were killed he might have attacked. That showed messengers were not told to turn back, but killed, so taken away their freedom. In anyway I believe in Koran, prophet Mohammad, Jesus, Mozes and all the other prophets and for what their words was not changed or abused. And I believe in Gods first shown at Adam and Eve, full freedom but not take away freedom from others.

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