Rajab held over for trial in “court of injustice”

Bahrain activist detained for extra week
By Elizabeth Broomhall – 14 May, 2012

Bahrain human rights activist Nabeel Rajab is to be detained for an extra week for participating in anti-government protests in January, the UK’s The Telegraph reported.

Rajab, head of Bahrain’s Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), was arrested earlier this month for posting comments on Twitter which “insulted the government”, and is due to face trial for his actions on May 16, the newspaper said.

According to Rajab’s lawyer Mohamed Al Jishi, his detention has been extended by one week for taking part in a demonstration three months ago. For this he will also face trial starting May 22, reports said.

Nabeel Rajab shot to fame in the Arab World early last year for speaking out against human rights violations in the protest-hit country.

In January, opposition activists claimed Rajab was beaten by security forces for his role in pro-democracy demonstrations, but Bahrain’s Interior Ministry denied the accounts.

Bahrain has been rocked by anti-government rallies since February 2011, with the Gulf state’s Shia religious majority calling for an end to the autocratic Sunni rule.

Approximately 60 people are thought to have died amid the unrest, which saw Bahrain’s government impose martial law and impose a violent crackdown on protests. …more