Bahrain extends detention of human rights activist

Rasa - The Bahraini Attorney General has extended for 15 more days the detention of prominent human rights campaigner Nabeel Rajab, who was expected to be released pending trial.

News ID: 426291

Date: 05 January 2017 - 21:11

RNA - Mohammed al-Jishi, a lawyer representing Rajab, said on Thursday that the order was the sixth extension of Rajab’s pre-trial detention, Bahraini media reported.

The activist was arrested last June over tweets he posted in 2015 criticizing the Manama regime for torturing prisoners at a local jail and for its involvement in the deadly Saudi aggression against Yemen.

Rajab was accused of “spreading false news and rumors and inciting propaganda during wartime,” allegations denied by the defendant.

Late last December, a court ruling ordered the 52-year-old activist’s release on bail pending a trial due on January 23.

Hours later, however, Bahrain’s public prosecutor announced that Rajab would remain in custody while another investigation continued into a separate case accusing him of publishing what was said to be “false and malicious rumors” against the Persian Gulf kingdom.

“The public prosecutor is detaining Rajab without any reason,” Jishi said, adding, “This is illegal, because according to criminal law procedure 147, they cannot keep him without charge for more than 6 months.”

Rajab had been repeatedly detained for organizing anti-regime protests and publishing online comments deemed insulting to the ruling dynasty. He was pardoned for health reasons before his re-arrest last summer.

The United Nations has urged Manama to “immediately and unconditionally” free Rajab from prison.

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