26th September

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Daughter of Bahrain opposition leader sentenced
The daughter of a jailed rights activist in Bahrain was sentenced Wednesday to two months in prison for damaging property at the police station, including tearing a picture of the Gulf nation's king, ofcials said. Rights groups denounced the court's decision. They accused authorities in the tiny, but strategically important Gulf kingdom of escalating crackdowns on protesters from the Shiite majority, which is seeking a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled nation. More than 50 people have died in the unrest since February 2011 in Bahrain, the host of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. A statement from Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority said Zainab al-Khawaja would complete the sentence within a week because of time served awaiting trial. Read More The court also reportedly adjourned until October two cases - taking part in an illegal demonstration and entering a prohibited area. Ms Khawaja has been detained several times in the past nine months. She has been on trial several times for taking part in illegal gatherings and insulting ofcials, and was sentenced to a month in prison in May. Read More erupted last year and were put down by the Sunni rulers.

Bahraini court jails daughter of imprisoned activist

The daughter of an imprisoned Bahraini activist was jailed for two months on Wednesday for tearing up a picture of the Gulf Arab state's king, her lawyer said. Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since prodemocracy protests led by its Shi'ite Muslim majority

Zainab al-Khawaja, daughter of leading Shi'ite activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, was arrested at a protest in August that was dispersed by security forces using tear gas and birdshot. Her defence lawyer called the sentence harsh. "Usually sentences for such crimes are just nes," Mohammed al-Jishi told Reuters by telephone from Manama. Read More Rights groups say the trial is yet another example of the authorities using the judicial system to blunt dissent 18 months after youths from the majority Shia led widespread protests against the minority Sunni-led monarchy. Zainabs verdict shows the regimes incapacity to cope with peaceful dissent and its compulsion to target leading human rights activists, says Brian Dooley of Human Rights First. Its overreaction to criticism makes it look weak, unable to tolerate the tearing of a picture or calls for reform. Read More to two months in jail for ripping up a picture of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. "Usually sentences for such crimes are just nes," Zainab's lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi told Reuters. He added that the activist should be freed in four days because she already spent 56 days in jail. Read More

Bahrain activist Zainab al-Khawaja given jail sentence

A court in Bahrain has sentenced the prominent pro-democracy activist, Zainab al-Khawaja, to two months in prison. A judicial source said she had been found guilty of destroying government property, which her lawyer said related to her ripping up a picture of the king.

Bahrain court jails daughter of activist

A Bahraini court sentenced the daughter of one of the countrys leading human rights activists to two months in jail in a move that activists say marks a heightened campaign against the leaders of the protest movement. Zainab al-Khawaja, who was arrested in August, was convicted for tearing up a picture of the Gulf states King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa.

Bahrain sends Shia female activist to 2 months in jail

A Bahraini court on Wednesday sent Shia activist Zainab Al-Khawaja to two months in jail after nding her guilty of destroying property belonging to the interior ministry, a judicial source said.

Zainab, daughter of prominent jailed opposition activist Abdulhadi AlKhawaja who is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of plotting against the state, had been released in May after serving a one month jail term for attacking a policewoman at a demonstration. She had also paid a 200 dinars ($530) ne for having insulted a police ofcer. Read More

Bahraini Activist Zainab al-Khawaja Jailed for Two Months for Defacing Picture of King
A Bahraini court has sentenced pro-democracy activist Zainab al-Khawaja, daughter of renowned human rights campaigner Abdulhadi,

Bahrain opposition leader's daughter jailed

A Bahraini court has jailed activist Zainab Al Khawaja for two months after nding her guilty of destroying property belonging to the interior ministry, a judicial source said today.

Khawaja, the daughter of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja who is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of plotting against the state, had been released in May after serving a one month jail term for attacking a policewoman at a demonstration. She had also paid a 200 dinars (Dh1,948) ne for having insulted a police ofcer. Read More photo of the King, even when asked, is noteworthy.

Bahraini Activist Sentenced to 2 Months in Prison

In Bahrain, a leading prodemocracy activist has been sentenced to two months in prison for tearing up a picture of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Zainab Alkhawaja already spent a month behind bars earlier this year for taking

part in the protests against the Bahraini monarchy. Her father, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, is a leading Bahraini activist whos currently serving a life sentence. Bahrain is a key U.S. government ally in the Middle East, hosting the Navys Fifth Fleet. Zainabs jailing came just as President Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and spoke of the merits of free speech. Read More head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who has been in prison since April 2011. The BCHR was awarded the Index on Censorship Advocacy Award 2012. Speaking at an Index event at the British parliament earlier this month, Zainabs sister Maryam l-Khawaja called on the United Kingdom to end its support for the Bahraini regime. Read More Rights (ECCHR) called on Britain to deny Sheik Nasser a visa, on the basis of serious human rights violations constituting crimes against humanity. Numerous international human rights groups were greatly concerned that Nasser headed a committee that arrested, imprisoned and tortured 150 sportsmen and sports ofcials for participating in the February 2011 protests at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama. Some athletes stated that Nasser himself beat them. Read More the UN Human Rights Council approved by Bahrain.

UN's Ban Ki-moon Has No Comment on Bahrain Jailing Zainab al-Khawaja

With all the talk at the UN General Assembly about the Arab Spring and freedom of expression, the UN's and others' failure to speak out again Bahrain jailing Zainab al-Khawaja for tearing up a

On September 26, the day after US President Obama's speech about freedom of expression and after months of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon statements about the right to non-violent protest, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky: Read More Bahrains reputation as a volatile place without due respect for the rule of law.

Bahrain activist jailed for tearing up picture of king

Bahraini human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja has been sentenced to two months in prison after she allegedly tore up a picture of the ruler of the Gulf kingdom. Al-Khawaja is the daughter of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, the

Bahraini Defender Sentenced to Prison for Tearing Picture of King

Today, a Bahraini court sentenced Zainab AlKhawaja to two months in prison for publicly tearing a picture of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Human Rights First notes that the ruling conrms

Nothing says instability like the jailing of peaceful protestors, said Human Rights Firsts Brian Dooley. The Bahraini regime seems locked into a spiral of imprisoning human rights leaders and it is unable to tolerate freedom of expression. This is not the reform the king promised. Read More In 20 of 47 countries surveyed, internet freedom was found to be on the decline [PDF]. The biggest declines were in Bahrain, where the government has clamped down on the internet in an effort to quell unrest as a result of the Arab Spring; Ethopia, where an increasingly totalitarian regime issuppressingdissent; and Pakistan. Read More

Bahrains Invisible Arab Spring

Bahrain, one of the Arab Spring countries, has been in the international news recently, owing to the controversy over Britains decision to grant Sheik Nasser bin Hamad alKhalifa, one of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifas six sons and the head of Bahrains Olympic Committee, a visa for the London Olympics. In June the European Center for Constitutional and Human

Internet freedom is on the decline but were fighting back

Our internet freedoms are being curtailed, but not without a ght. This is the nding of a new study released on Tuesday by Freedom House, which looked at threats to Internet freedom and efforts to ght back in 47 countries worldwide.

Rights Commissioner is set to visit Bahrain

An invitation will also be addressed to the special rapporteur on torture to visit early next year, in line with one of the recomm-endations of

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Senior Bahrain activist Zainab al-Khwajah jailed for two months

A Bahraini court has sentenced prominent human rights activist Zainab alKhawaja to two months in prison for tearing up a picture of the Persian Gulf state's king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Her defense lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi,

announced the sentence on Wednesday and called it harsh, Reuters reported. "Usually sentences for such crimes are just nes," Jishi said The lawyer added that his client is also facing eight other charges over holding anti-regime protests, and her next court hearing will be in November. Read More

In Bahrain.. Even Children Undergo Interrogation

Unlike many other countries, children in Bahrain easily under go investigation and even can enter jails. Their sin cant be forgiven since they have committed an unprecedented crime as they took part in peaceful rallies demanding the simplest rights of any citizen.

Abrar Omaran, 8, along with Mujtaba Hussein Ali Nassif were summoned for interrogation after they took part in peaceful rallies in the Bahraini capital last Friday. Approximately there are 80 Bahraini children in Al Khalifas jails for charges like incitement against the regime or taking part in peaceful protests. In addition there are dozens of children who have been martyred by the security forces re. Read More

regime and its ongoing violations.

AlWefaq SG: The International Community Found the Regime Guilty

Shaikh Ali Salman, Al-Wefaq Secretry-General, emphasized that the international community found the regime a violator of human rights and therefore given the highest number of recommendations worldwide. He mentioned that the democratic regimes clearly condemned the Bahraini

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Bahrain: Birdshot against protests in 23 areas, and extrajudicial arrests and raids
Bahrain regime forces raided more than 8 houses on Sunday 23rd, and vandalized private belongings. The number of vandalized cars by the forces totaled to 22. Read More