Bahrain continues imprisonment of opposition leaders as ‘hostage-bargaining chips’ as pressure for thier release intensifies

Bahrain court adjourns case of prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab
10 September, 2012 – BLOTTR

The case of leading rights activist Nabeel Rajab was adjourned until September 27th on Monday, his lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi reported. The head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights was in court this morning to appeal the three-year sentence he received last month for “involvement in illegal practices and calling for unauthorised marches through social networking sites”.

Rajab, arguably the most prominent rights activist in Bahrain, was arrested on July 10 by masked men in balaclavas and plain clothes following his conviction for sending defamatory and libellous tweets. He was later acquitted.

The case of Zainab Al-Kawaja, daughter of opposition activist Abduladi Al-Khawaja, was also adjourned on Monday. She is expected to appear in court on September 11.

Sister and fellow activist Maryam Al-Khawaja said Zainab’s lawyer tried to use excerpts of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, but the judge refused to hear the lawyer’s arguments saying that the BICI report was a thing of the past.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), established in June 2011 by King Hamad, was tasked with looking into human rights abuses during the period of unrest in Bahrain between February and March 2011.

As pointed out by EA Worldview, Katherine Gallagher, Vice President of FIDH, was present in court to monitor the hearing. She tweeted: “At Nabeel Rajab’s hearing. His family all in court, international observers and US, French and German Embassy [representatives present]. Nabeel looks strong.”

“Nabeel in prison grey clothes. Gave statement. Zainab with AbdulHahi [AlKhawaja]’s pricture on front of shirt and pearl roundabout on back,” she also wrote on the micro-blogging site.

In another development, a Bahraini activist sustained severe injuries on Sunday night after being hit by dozens of birdshot pellets fired by police forces in the village of Sitra during an opposition protest. Reports say he is now in stable condition.
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