Bahraini foreign minister’s twitter account hacked

Rasa - Bahrain says hackers have targeted the twitter account of Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifah and left posts against the royal family and in support of anti-regime protesters.

News ID: 430083

Date: 03 June 2017 - 23:29

RNA - "The account of H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs has been hacked. Kindly be aware," the Bahraini Foreign Ministry said in a message posted on its twitter account on Saturday.

Among the videos and photos posed on the twitter account are those of slain pro-democracy demonstrators in Bahrain, as well as civilians killed in the Saudi war on Yemen.

One of the posts contained a poster depicting Bahrain’s Shia leaders with the words, "Our leaders, you have our pledge, our demand is Down with [King] Hamad.”

Bahrain’s al-Wasat newspaper said on its website that several tweets and videos that appeared on the foreign minister's account were insulting to him.

No group has claimed responsibility for the hacking, but several videos posted bore the logo of Saraya al-Mukhtar Brigade.

Tensions have increased in Bahrain after a series of measures taken by the Al Khalifah regime against opposition groups and individuals.

Bahraini authorities have broken up major opposition political parties and revoked the nationality of several activists. Human rights campaigners have also been detained or forced into exile.

Five people were killed and 286 others arrested on May 23 when Bahraini forced broke into prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim’s house in the northwestern village of Diraz and clashed with his supporters.

Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet and an under-construction British naval base, has witnessed peaceful anti-regime protests against the systematic abuse of the Shia population and discrimination against them since 2011.

Manama has responded to the protests with lethal force, which has drawn international criticism. Saudi Arabia has been supporting Bahrain in its suppression of dissent.

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