Bahrain activist jailed for insulting king on Twitter
A Bahrain activist has been jailed for six months after insulting the Gulf nation's king on Twitter.
The Gulf emirate has faced
unrest since last March Photo: Mazen
Mahdi/EPA
The online activist, who has not been named, was among four people arrested
last month for allegedly defaming Bahrain's monarch in cases that mirror other
social media crackdowns by Gulf Arab rulers.
Such prosecutions have brought strong criticism from media freedom groups.
The official Bahrain News Agency said the court Thursday also ordered the
activist's laptop and mobile phone confiscated.
The Gulf emirate has faced unrest since last March, when its forces crushed a
month of popular protests led by members of the Shiite Muslim majority who were
demanding greater rights and an end to what they claimed was discrimination
against them by the Sunni royal family.
The crackdown, which drew strong criticism from international rights groups,
was followed by a three-month state of emergency declared by King Hamad during
which protests were also banned.
Earlier this week, Bahrain banned all protests and gatherings to ensure
"security is maintained" after a series of violent clashes between the
Shiite-led demonstrators and Sunni government forces.
Court rulings on the three other Twitter activists are expected next week.
Source: agencies
Court rulings on the three other Twitter activists are expected next week.
Source: agencies
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