27th January 2015

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Six Months in Jail for
a Tweet: Bahrain
Update
On January 20, Bahrain
sentenced its most
prominent human rights
activist to six months in jail
for a tweet. Nabeel
Rajab, president of the
Bahrain Center for Human
Rights, was convicted of
insulting the Bahraini
government under Article
216 of the country's strict
penal code.
VICE News was with
Nabeel at his home, when

he received his verdict. He

had some harsh words for
Britain, one of Bahrain's
closest foreign allies.
In December, the UK
announced a landmark
agreement to build a new
naval base in Bahrain at the
cost of 15 million pound
sterling ($22.8 million). In a
statement to VICE News, a
spokesperson at the UK
Foreign Office said, "The
UK government is
supporting the government
of Bahrain in its reform
program, including work to
help Bahrain strengthen its
human rights and justice
sector."

Salman's trial will take place

Wednesday.

Bahrain Opposition
Urges Economic
Boycott to Protest Its
Leader's Trial
Bahrain Shiite opposition
party Al-Wefaq has called
fora two-day long
economic boycott toprotest
the trial and imprisonment
ofits leader Ali Salman,
Press TV reported Tuesday.
According toPress TV, the
boycott is scheduled
tobegin Tuesday night.

The organizers ofthe

economic boycott want
toinclude the closure ofall
private and state financial
institutions.
Salman was arrested
inBahrain's capital
Manama inlate December
oncharges ofinciting the
overthrow ofthe regime,
hatching anti-government
plots byforceful means,
and inciting disobedience
and hatred, according tothe
published statement ofthe
Bahraini court.
Read More

Read More

all private and government

transactions.

Bahrain opposition
group calls for
boycotts ahead of
detained leader trial
Bahrains al-Wefaq National
Islamic Society has called
for a two-day economic
boycott in protest of the trial
of its detained leader,
Sheikh Ali Salman.
The lead opposition partys
boycott is set for Tuesday
night and shall encompass

The party secretarygenerals trial is scheduled

on Wednesday.
On January 19, prosecutors
charged Salman with
attempting to overthrow the
regime and sent him to
trialdespite international
calls for his release. The
opposition has rejected the
allegations.
Read More