Nabeel Rajab Special

16th August 2012

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Bahrain activist sentenced to 3 years for protests
A three-year prison sentence handed down Thursday to a prominent Bahraini human rights activist for instigating and participating in several anti-government rallies prompted rare criticism from the United States and sparked clashes in the streets of the Gulf nation's capital. The unexpectedly harsh sentence against Nabeel Rajab is also likely to raise questions about the Westernbacked Sunni monarchy's commitment to reform, and embolden anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating for the past 18 months, calling for greater rights in this Gulf island kingdom that is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th eet. The monarchy considers most anti-government rallies as "illegal gatherings" punishable by law. Read More protests," lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi wrote on his Twitter page, adding that the defence team would appeal. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said the United States was "deeply troubled" by the jail sentence, warning that such actions "only serve to further divide Bahraini society." Britain urged Bahrain to reconsider the sentence, echoing remarks by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton. Read More not back down or retreat," Rajab said after his sentence was read in a court, according to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Rajab is that group's president. The sentence raised concerns from British and European Union ofcials who called for Bahrain to reconsider its length. Read More Nabeel Rajab, an activist who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, is already erupted last year. Washington has called on its ally to talk to the opposition.

Bahrain jails activist for 3 years over protests

A prominent Bahraini opposition activist was sentenced to three years in jail on Thursday for antigovernment protests, his lawyer said, a verdict Washington said was deeply troubling and rights campaigners called a "dark day for justice". Bahrain, the base of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since prodemocracy protests led by its Shi'ite Muslim majority

Nabeel Rajab is the founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and has led many protests against the wide powers of the Sunni Al Khalifa dynasty which rules the island kingdom. A hero to protesters, but villain for those Bahrainis who fear the protests will bring Shi'ite Islamists to power, Rajab was already serving three months in jail over a tweet criticising the prime minister. A court said it insulted Bahrainis. An appeal hearing is due next week. Read More serving a three-month sentence for posting antigovernment comments on Twitter. In his tweets, he criticised Bahrains powerful prime minister,Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who is also the kings uncle, asking him to step down. Maryam Khawaja, acting president of the BCHR, said that Mr Rajab had been sentenced for one year for each of the three cases led against him. He will appeal the sentence, AP reported. Read More Nabeel Rajab "had called in public speeches for a demonstration to confront public security personnel, inciting violence and escalation against law enforcement ofcers, resulting in deaths during those confrontations," prosecutor Mohamed Hazza told the ofcial Bahrain News Agency. Read More

Bahrain court jails prominent rights activist for 3 years

A Bahraini court on Thursday sentenced prominent Shiite rights activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in jail over "unauthorised" protests against the Sunni monarchy, drawing international criticism, a lawyer said. "The court has sentenced Nabeel Rajab to three years in jail over three cases of taking part in unauthorised

Prominent Bahrain rights activist jailed

A Bahraini court has sentenced a prominent human rights activist to three years in prison for organising and attending antigovernment protests, raising concerns about the Gulf states commitment to political reform.

Bahraini activist sentenced to prison

A Bahrain court sentenced prominent activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison "for participating in illegal rallies and gatherings," a government spokesman said Thursday. "You can jail me for three years or 30 years, but I will

Bahrain activist sentenced to three years in prison

Bahrain sentenced a prominent human rights activist to three years in prison Thursday, saying he had organized and taken part in illegal rallies and incited protesters to attack police.

Prominent Bahraini Opposition Activist Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Prominent Bahraini opposition activist, Nabeel Rajab, has been sentenced to three years in prison for leading anti-government protests. Rajab is the founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human

Rights and has led many protests against the Sunni Al Khalifa dynasty who exercise wide ruling powers over the island. The pro-democracy protests led by the Shiite Muslim majority began last year following the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Majority of the Shiite Muslims are complaining of political and economic marginalisation, but the government denies this accusation. Read More of the three cases all related to participating in peaceful protests.

Bahrain Sentences Activist for Unauthorized Protests

A court in Bahrain has sentenced a prominent human rights activist to three years in prison for his role in unauthorized protests. A lawyer for Nabeel Rajab, who heads the Bahrain Center

for Human Rights, said the sentence was based on convictions in three separate cases. The defense plans to appeal the ruling. Rajab is already serving a three-month sentence after being convicted in July of posting insulting comments on the micro-blogging service Twitter. Read More

Bahraini activist jailed for three years

A prominent Bahrainiactivist has been jailed for three yearsforinstigating and participating in"unauthorised" protests against the Sunni Al Khalifa monarchy, his lawyer says. Mohammed al-Jishi said on Thursdaythat Nabeel Rajab was given one year for each

Bahrain court jails prominent activist for 3 years

A Bahrain court on Thursday sentenced prominent Shiite rights activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison over unauthorized protests against the Sunni Al-Khalifa monarchy, a lawyer said.

"It is a very stiff and unexpected ruling, I am surprised. They are peaceful protests, not violent ones," Jishi said. The verdict is likely to undermine a US call for dialogue to defuse political tension on the island. Read More

It is a very stiff and unexpected ruling, I am surprised. They are peaceful protests, not violent ones, the activists lawyer Mohammed alJishi told Reuters news agency. Others found guilty in similar cases, he said, were sentenced to a maximum of six months in jail and some were freed on bail. Jishi said that the defense team would appeal. Read More detention, had been a face of the protest movement that has rocked the kingdom since February last year. His organisation has played a key role in coordinating demonstrations over the past eighteen months. Rajab is an avid tweeter and outspoken critic of the ruling family. Read More

Bahrain human rights Rajab, reports The Guardian, chief jailed for three was already serving a three years over protests
month sentence for posting for his anti-government comments on Twitter. The government said the threeyear sentence is a result of his participation in an "illegal demonstration." Rajab's organizations said the island nation was emboldened "by international silence." Read More The head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday for taking part in an illegal gathering. Nabeel Rajab, among the highest prole activists in

Bahrain Sentences Prominent Activist To 3 Years In Jail

The government of Bahrain, today, handed down a threeyear jail sentence for prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Center For Human Rights.

against the Sunni Al-Khalifa monarchy. Rajab's attorney, Mohammed al-Jishi, told reporters that each of the three cases carried a one-year jail term. AlJishi added that his client, currently head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, plans to contest the sentence. Read More

Bahrain Sentences Nabeel Rajab to Three government activity, reported Years in Prison for Reuters. 'Illegal Protesting' Nabeel Rajab, Bahrain activist, jailed for 3 years
A leading Bahrain activist and founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights was jailed for three years today on charges of antiNabeel Rajab, already in jail for a separate case tied to his outspoken political Twitter activity, was given three oneyear jail sentences today -one for each of the nonviolent protests he helped lead, his lawyer told Reuters. Read More A Bahraini court has sentenced prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison, for three separate cases of inciting and participating in protests

Bahrain Court Jails Activist for Three Years, Alwasat Reports

Bahrains Lower Criminal Court sentenced human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, 48, to three years imprisonment after nding him guilty of calling for and

participating in unauthorized marches and gatherings, Alwatan reported on its website. The High Criminal Court postponed until Aug. 23 a ruling in another case in which Rajab has been convicted for insulting the people of Muharraq City, the newspaper said.. Read More

permission, according a Thursday report by Iran's Press TV.

Bahrain: Leader of Shia opposition sentenced for 3 year imprisonment

Nabil Rajab, leader of the Shia opposition, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for protesting against the AlKhalifa monarchy without

Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail over three cases of taking part in unauthorized protests, said defence lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi, who assured that he will appeal. Read More connected to the country's ongoing popular uprising. Nabeel Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, has already been serving a three-month prison sentence since July after posting comments on social media websites, calling for Bahraini Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Slaman alKhalifa to step down. Read More according to his lawyerMohammed al-Jishi.

Bahraini activist sentenced to three years imprisonment

Nabeel Rajab, a prominent Bahraini opposition activist and president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, has been sentenced to three years in jail because of his participation in unauthorized protests.

The judge residing over the case against Rajab issued a Bahraini Human Rights one year sentence for each of the three charges. Rajab's Activist Jailed For lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi Three Years stated he plans to appeal the ruling and added: A prominent human rights activist in Bahrain has been sentenced to three "It is a very stiff and consecutive year-long unexpected ruling, I am surprised. They are peaceful sentences for participating in what the courts characterized protests, not violent ones, as "illegal gatherings," referring to activities Read More Rajab is head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and is currently behind bars for a tweet he published criticising the Bahraini government. He appealed the three month sentence he received for the tweet in July but the court has postponed the appeals case hearing to 23 August, according to Alwasat News. Read More The unexpectedly stiff sentence Thursday against Nabeel Rajab will raise questions about the Westernbacked Sunni monarchys commitment to reform, and embolden anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating the past 18 months for greater rights in the Gulf island kingdom. Read More

Crackdown on rights activists in Bahrain

Nabeel Rajab, the Bahraini human rights defender already sentenced to three months in prison was sentenced to an additional three years on Thursday for three cases of taking part in unauthorised gatherings, according to the Bahraini Alwasat News.

The man doth tweet too much: Nabeel Rajab sentenced to prison
Infamous Bahraini opposition activist and head of the Bahrain Centre for Human RightsNabeel Rajabhas beensentenced to three years in prison for taking part in "unauthorised" antigovernment protests,

"The court has sentencedNabeel Rajabto three years in jail over three cases of taking part in unauthorised protests," the lawyer tweeted.He also conrmed that the defence team would be appealing this verdict. Read More Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was already serving a three-month sentenced for posting messages critical of the Bahraini government via the social networking site. Earlier this week, 19 members of the US Congress wrote to the ruler of Bahrain calling for Rajabs release. Read More

Bahrains Nabeel Rajab jailed for three years

Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three years in prison by a court in the Gulf state today, according to his Twitter page, after being found guilty of taking part in protests in the unrest-rocked country.

Bahrain activist jailed for three years

A PROMINENT BAHRAINI human rights activist has been found guilty of calling and participating in several illegal gatherings and sentenced to three years in jail.

Bahraini rights activist sentenced three years in jail

Bahrain's prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab was sentenced Thursday three years in jail on charges of taking part in unauthorized protests against the government, his lawyer said. The lawyer, Mohammed Al Jishi, said the defense team

will appeal the court's decision. Bahraini authorities in May arrested Rajab following a public prosecution order. The opposition activist is known as the leader of the "February 14 Coalition Movement", which started the unrest in Bahrain last year amidst the political turmoil in the region. Read More Khalifa dynasty which rules Bahrain. Bahrain, home of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since protests led by Shia majority have erupted last year after successful revolts in neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia. Rajab was already serving three months in jail over a tweet criticising the Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, the uncle of the King of Bahrain and the country's unelected Prime Minister for nearly 41 years. Read More Rights (BCHR), for his role in pro-democracy protests.

years in prison for protesting against the Bahraini regime. "We've long made clear that it's critical for all governments, including Bahrain, to respect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. So we are deeply troubled by the sentencing today of Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison on charges of illegally gathering," State Department SpokeswomanVictoria Nuland said Thursday. Read More Rights and one of the most outspoken critics of the island state's government. His lawyer, Mohammed alJishi, said each of three cases against him yielded a year imprisonment, for a total of three years. Al-Jishi said he plans to appeal the ruling. Rajab will be sentenced later this month for statements he made on Twitter calling for the prime minister to step down and discussing his visit to a village outside of the capital Manama. Read More

Bahraini rights activist sentenced three years in jail

The State Department Thursday called on the Bahraini government to vacate charges againstNabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who was sentenced to three

Bahrain opposition activist jailed

Nabeel Rajab, a founder of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and an opposition activist was sentenced to three years in jail for "instigating and participating in several illegal gatherings", referring to the ongoing antigovernment protests, which started last year. Rajab is known for leading many protests against the wide powers of the Sunni Al

Bahraini human rights activist gets three-year sentence for demonstration

A prominent Bahraini human rights activist has been sentenced to three years in prison for attending an "illegal demonstration". Nabeel Rajab, who is already serving a three-month sentence for posting antigovernment comments on Twitter, is the head of theBahrain Centre for Human

IFEX deplores threeyear jail sentence given to Bahraini member Nabeel Rajab
IFEX, the world's largest network of free expression organisations, strongly denounces the three-year prison sentence handed down today to Nabeel Rajab, president of IFEX member Bahrain Centre for Human

"By sentencing Nabeel to prison, the Bahrain government is sending a strong message to the world that it doesn't care about human rights. With this decision the Kingdom's international reputation remains at stake," said Annie Game, IFEX executive director. Read More

Bahrain Sentences Activist to 3 Years in Prison for Inciting Protests

Bahrain sentenced a leading rights activist to three years in prison on Thursday for inciting antigovernment protests in speeches and Twitter updates, the state news agency reports.

The activist, Nabeel Rajab, is the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He has been an outspoken supporter of demonstrations that began last year, calling on the countrys ruling monarchy to introduce democratic reforms. Mr. Rajab was jailed last month for posting a critical jibe about the countrys prime minister on Twitter. Read More

'Dark day for justice' in Bahrain as activist receives three-year prison sentence
A Bahrain court's decision to sentence a prominent human rights activist to three years in prison for taking part in an anti-government protest is a "dark day for justice" in the country Amnesty International said today.

Nabeel Rajab, the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was found guilty of taking part in an illegal gathering among other charges in relation to a protest in the capital Manama on 6 February 2012. Rajab, his family and one police guard were the only ones present at the Third Lower Criminal Court in Manama today when the judge read out the verdict. Read More Nabeel Rajab is the president of the BCHR, the director of the Gulf Center for Human rights, the vice president of FIDH, and on the advisory board for the MENA section in Human Rights Watch. He is a renowned human rights defender, and in 2011 he was awarded with the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award because he "has worked tirelessly and at considerable personal peril to advance the cause of democratic freedoms and the civil rights of Bahraini citizens". Read More

'Dark day for justice' in Bahrain as activist receives three-year prison sentence
In an astonishing move this morning, the Bahrain authorities sentenced prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab to three years in jail for his part in illegal gatherings. Even those of us who have followed Bahrains violent

crackdown on human rights are shocked by todays move, said Brian Dooley of Human Rights First. Its a breathtakingly bad decision, showing that the regimes rhetoric about reform and reconciliation is a sham. The charges are patently politically-motivated, and designed to silence him. He has consistently called for protests to be peaceful, and there is no justication for his jailing. Read More

three years imprisonment on charges of illegal assembly

Bahrain, emboldened by international silence, sentences Nabeel Rajab to 3 years imprisonment

The BCHR and GCHR condemn in the strongest terms the sentence passed today against the detained human rights defender Nabeel Rajab by the Bahraini government on charges related to protesting. Rajab was sentenced to a total of three years imprisonment in three cases, to be immediately carried out.

Bahrain: Human rights defender Nabeel Rajab sentenced to three years in prison
Human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), was sentenced on 16th August to

Front Line Defenders condemns the imprisonment of Nabeel Rajab and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Conviction of Rajab part of ongoing pattern of repression. Read More of the government to follow through on promised political reforms and a reection of the ongoing repressive environment for those that oppose the regime. Freedom House calls on Bahraini authorities to immediately release and drop all charges against him, and to implement reforms to secure freedom of expression without fear of harm or prosecution. Read More and participating in illegal demonstrations. His conviction is a violation of his right to freedom of assembly. Rajab is president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and a member of the advisory committee of the Human Rights Watch Middle East Division. Read More

BAHRAIN ACTIVIST NABEEL RAJAB SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON

Index on Censorship condemns the sentencing human rights defender and Index award winner Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison.

Index on Censorship condemns the sentencing in Bahrain today of human rights defender and Index award winner Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison for charges related to illegal gathering. Kirsty Hughes, Chief Executive of Index on Censorship, said: Read More

Sentencing of Activist Shows Failure of Political Reform in Bahrain

Freedom House denounces the sentencing of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab to three years imprisonment in Bahrain on trumped up charges. This harsh sentence is clear evidence of the failure

Bahrain: Free Rights Activist Jailed for Illegal Gatherings

(Beirut) Bahraini authorities should immediately release the human rights activist Nabeel Rajab and overturn his conviction for organizing

US 'deeply troubled' by Bahrain activist jailing

The United States said Thursday it was "deeply troubled" by a Bahraini court's three-year prison sentence handed down to a prominent activist from the US ally's Shiite majority. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that the US

embassy contacted Bahraini authorities to voice concern over the jail term given to Nabeel Rajab for "unauthorized" protests against the Sunni monarchy. "We are deeply troubled by the sentencing," Nuland told reporters. "We believe that all people have a fundamental freedom to participate in civil acts of peaceful disobedience," she said. Read More Rights, said "When Nabeel Rajab was attacked and beaten by security forces during a protest in January 2012, there was an instant reaction from the US State Department and he was immediately released. He then received representatives of the US embassy in Manama in a visit to his home. When Nabeel Rajab was arrested and imprisoned in May 2012, there was no response from the US administration. As the attacks against Nabeel Rajab escalated, the silent reaction from the US administration continued." Read More

EU urges Bahrain to 'reconsider' Rajab sentence

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton called on the Bahraini courts to "reconsider" a three-year jail sentence handed out on Thursday to prominent Shiite rights activist Nabeel Rajab. The High Representative "has noted with concern the

sentencing... for taking part in unauthorised protests in Bahrain," said a statement by Ashton's spokesperson. Ashton "expects that this sentence in Mr Rajab's case will be reconsidered in the appeal process, and that the same treatment will be given to all Bahraini citizens who are being tried for charges relating to the exercise of their fundamental freedoms. Read More Nuland says the Obama administration is "very concerned" by reports that the Egyptian government is moving to restrict media freedom and criticism including preventing the distribution of a newspaper and suspending a satellite television channel that feature opponents of President Mohamed Morsi. Read More

Remember Mubarak?
US silence and a harassment campaign of "political decisions" by Bahrain's judiciary systemare responsible for the three-year jail sentence handed down to the country's leading human rights defender today for participating in an "illegal gathering and calling for a march without prior notication." In a statement, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Gulf Center for Human

US Concerned About Freedom of Speech in Egypt, Bahrain

The United States says it is concerned about new restrictions on freedoms of expression in Mideast allies Egypt and Bahrain. State Department spokeswoman Victoria