(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Khalil Adeeb, a lawyer for the Al-Wasat journalists, argued that false information had filtered into the newspaper's systems from an external website and had been published unintentionally. He called on the court to clear the defendants.
Bahrain's high criminal court adjourned the case until October 11.
Mansoor al-Jamri, former editor-in-chief of the publication; Walid Nouwaihidh, former managing editor; and Aqeel Mirza, former head of the local news department, are on trial after being forced to quit the publication in April. A fourth man, Ali al-Sharifi, is being tried in absentia.
"Al-Wasat newspaper has been charged with fabricating news knowingly and with the aim of spreading some sort of discord and unrest amongst the population, which is not true," al-Jamri said last month.
The court ruling comes a day after Bahrain's government and the opposition started talks in a bid to agree on reforms following months of unrest in the Persian Gulf state.
The government released more than 100 prisoners as a goodwill gesture early Saturday, former Al Wefaq lawmaker Sayed Hadi Al-Mosawi said.
Bahrain is one of several Middle East and North African countries embroiled in anti-government protests. To quell the protests, the Bahraini government called in troops from member states of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council.
Bahrain's majority Shiite community has long complained of discrimination by the ruling Sunni rulers.
The kingdom is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.
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