Bahraini Human Rights Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for 'Offensive' Tweet

According to a lawyer and friends of a Bahraini human rights activist, he was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for criticizing Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and accusing Bahraini prison authorities of torturing inmates. The U.S. government, which has one of its largest military bases in Bahrain, has expressed concern over the case of Nabil Rajab, a leader of the pro-democracy protests in 2011. Mr. Rajab had previously been sentenced to two years in prison for stating in a press interview that political prisoners are tortured in Bahrain and is currently incarcerated. Civil and political activists in Bahrain stated in comments published on Twitter that Mr. Rajab's new prison sentence was issued for 'insulting a neighboring country' and 'insulting national institutions.' The Bahraini government has not yet commented on this issue. Ahmad Al-Wadaei, an activist from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy based in London, said that Bahraini judicial authorities have banned citizens from criticizing the government. International human rights organizations have condemned the issuance of this sentence as a violation of freedom of expression. The Bahrain section head at Human Rights Watch told Reuters, 'They are trying to suppress any criticism and dissent, and it seems they cannot tolerate any criticism.' The Middle East director of Amnesty International also stated, 'It is truly disgusting that Mr. Rajab must spend another five years in prison simply for expressing his opinion on social media.' Reuters reminds that since the 2011 pro-democracy protests led by Shia majority politicians, the Bahraini government has suppressed anything it deems a threat. The Sunni royal family of Bahrain has banned the activities of two main political groups, the Islamist Shia Al-Wefaq and the secular Wa'ad (National Democratic Action Society), revoked the citizenship of a senior Shia cleric, and sentenced several others in courts. Bahraini newspapers reported that the country's parliament on Wednesday banned the participation of banned parties in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are set to take place in October or November. Bahrain has accused the Iranian government of supporting armed attacks by Shia militants against its security forces, but the Iranian government has consistently denied this accusation. A U.S. embassy representative in Bahrain attended the early stages of Nabil Rajab's trial, and a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that the country is saddened by the confirmation of Mr. Rajab's previous prison sentence. He added, 'Mr. Rajab is a prominent human rights activist, and we will continue to engage with the Bahraini government regarding our serious concerns in this regard.'