Cairo – May 14th, 2012

 ANHRI calls on the Bahraini authorities to immediately release Nabeel Rajab, activist, and to cease the crackdown and prosecution of human rights activist and opinion makers. ANHRI considers the extension of Rajab’s detention illustrates the repression that characterizes the current stage in Bahrain.

The Bahraini authorities renewed Rajab’s detention for yet another week and announced that he is to be tried on May 16th on charges of “insulting a legal entity” in tweets he had posted on Twitter.

“It is quite surprising that an activist is tried because of 140 characters he posted on the Internet. The absurdity of the charges against Rajab explains the that the ruling regime ambushes activists and opinion makers,” said ANHRI.

“There are also attempts to intimidate opposition activists and impede their use of the Internet after it had proved to be a successful tool to express their opinions and expose the repression and persecution imposed on them by the regime,” added ANHRI.

Rajab is to be tried yet in another case on May 22nd on charged of “participating in a demonstration against the regime” three months ago.

The Bahraini authorities had detained Rajab upon arrival at the airport in Manama from Beirut last week and accused him of the mentioned charges.

ANHRI warns the Bahraini authorities of the consequences of the recurrent violations on human rights and international conventions and treaties that guarantee the right to freedom of expression, demonstration, and assembly.

For more information:

Bahraini:Nabeel Rajab arrested at door of plane