AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Press TV
Thursday

12 July 2012

4:39:00 PM
328711

Amnesty International urges release of Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab

Amnesty International has called on Bahraini authorities to release prominent Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who is jailed for expressing his opinions on the social networking website Twitter.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - "Like many others in Bahrain, Rajab is a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression," said Ann Harrison of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa program on Wednesday adding that "he should be released immediately and all other charges or convictions against him dropped or overturned."

A Bahraini court on Monday sentenced Rajab to three months in prison over his online comments.

Although prosecutors say he is jailed because his comments insulted the Sunni population of the province of Muharaq, it is widely believed that he was put behind bars because his tweet was against the ruling Al Khalifa family, especially Bahraini Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman.

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