May and June 2017: The Ministry of Information’s decision suspends Al-Wasat Newspaper’s 15-year old journey, and the repercussions of the Gulf crisis affect those who sympathize with or favor Qatar

London – Bahrain Press Association – June 28, 2017: The security authorities’ violations of the freedom of expression reached an unusual high intensity during May and June, as it finished off the country’s only independent newspaper, “Al-Wasat”. In a sudden move, the Ministry of Information decided to suspend the newspaper after publishing an article related to the Al-Hoceima demonstrations in Morocco. The newspaper administration’s efforts to dissuade the authorities did not succeed, forcing it to lay off around 150 employees three weeks after it was suspended. This led to the complete suspension of the newspaper after 15 years of continuous publishing.

These two months also witnessed additional attacks on the freedom of the media in conjunction with the escalated Bahraini-Saudi dispute with the state of Qatar. Both the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Interior have vowed to take legal action against anyone who publishes opinions expressing sympathy or favoritism towards Qatar. Attorney Issa Al-Borshid was one of the first victims of these threats against citizens, especially the social networks devotees. He was arrested days after he filed a lawsuit against the authorities because of Manama’s participation in the Qatari blockade. Security authorities continued to pursue tweeters and internet activists. Here are the details below:

Riffa Club photographer Hassan Gharib arrested

(May 7, 2017) Security authorities arrested the Western Riffa Sports Club’s photographer Hassan Gharib while covering a match at Al Ahli Club in the south of the capital Manama. His arrest was reportedly an execution of a 5 years’ in-absentia sentence he received in a case that had political implications.

Lawyer Ibrahim Sarhan tortured after his statement to the “Al-Mayadeen” channel

(May 24, 2017) The National Security Agency summoned Ibrahim Sarhan, the former legal advisor to the “Wifaq National Islamic Society”, to their center in the Muharraq area. He was interrogated about a statement he made on May 23, 2017, to Al-Mayadeen channel, in relation to the events that took place in the Diraz village. His statement was made following a security operation that was being carried out in Diraz to break a sit-in outside the home of the religious leader Sheikh Issa Qassem. Sarhan announced in a lengthy statement that he was brutally tortured, threatened with rape, being forced to sit on a glass bottle and kicked in his reproductive system, which later forced him to leave the country.

Journalist Naziha Said fined with 1,000 Dinars

(May 25, 2017) The Minor Criminal Court convicted journalist Naziha Said, correspondent of Radio Montecarlo International and France 24, and fined her with 1,000 Dinars. The Public Prosecutor’s Office charged her of “working as a correspondent for foreign radio with an expired license” after the authorities refrained from renewing the aforementioned license in June 2016, under which she had been operating for 12 years.

Social media activist Yasser Al-Mawali arrested

(May 30, 2017) The security authorities arrested the social media activist Yasser Al-Mawali after raiding his home in Muharraq at 3:30 pm. The security personnel arrived at his home under covered as Aramex courier staff but he was not in. They claimed there was an envelope that needs be handed over to him in person. His family informed them that he would be back in an hour. He was arrested without a warrant from outside his house later on when he got a call and had to step out. A police officer returned to his home 10 minutes later to fetch his cell phone and informed his family that he would be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Directorate. Yasser is in fact the brother of Yusuf Al-Mawali, one of the victims of torture during the protests.

Upholding of the 3-year sentence of former secretary of the “Wahdawi Union”

(June 1, 2017) The Court of Appeal upheld the 3-year prison sentence of former Secretary-General of the “Wahdawi Union”, Fadil Abbas, after he issued a statement in relation to the war in Yemen. Fadil Abbas was accused of “broadcasting false news and rumors during wartime” and “publishing a statement in the media that included a report on the military actions taken by Bahrain with a number of sister countries in order to restore and stabilize the situation in Yemen, which incites distrust in the safety and legitimacy of the Kingdom’s political and military position “.

The Ministry of Information suspends “Al-Wasat” newspaper

(June 7, 2017) The Ministry of Information decided to suspend the circulation and use of “Al-Wasat” newspaper until further notice. The ministry explained that its decision was taken “because of the newspaper’s violation of the law and repeatedly publishing and broadcasting content that creates divide in the society and affects the relations of the Kingdom of Bahrain with other countries, after it published an article on page 19 in the Sunday issue (June 4, 2017) that offended a sister Arab state.

The Ministry of Information vows to take legal action against those who publish opinions supporting Qatar

(June 8, 2017) The Ministry of Information issued a warning to all the media calling on them to “abide by the Kingdom’s stated position, in line with the political decision to sever relations with Qatar, and in line with the international Gulf and Arabian position and measures taken against Qatar”, warning the media from “spreading content that attacks the Kingdom’s supreme interests and aforementioned measures”. The Bahraini official news agency (BNA) broadcasted the Ministry’s warning from “publishing or circulating content objecting the decisions of the Kingdom or the countries unified with the Kingdom in this position, including content that is detrimental to the stature and sovereignty of the Kingdom, or favoring the State of Qatar’s policies or justifications, in any form of media”. The ministry confirmed that it “will take legal action against anyone who is attributed to publishing or contributing in the circulation of such content in any form, and they will be subjected to criminal and/or administrative accountability”

The Ministry of Interior vows to take action against those who favor Qatar

(June 8, 2017) The Ministry of Interior warned that “sympathy and favoritism towards the State of Qatar or any objection against the measures taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain is a punishable crime”. And it declared in a statement that “as a result of the declaration to sever the diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar, and in line with the Gulf and Arab states’ measures taken towards Qatar, due to its hostile actions against the Kingdom of Bahrain and its deviation from the Gulf and Arab constants and the principles of international law, the Ministry of Interior confirms that, based on the sovereign rights of the Kingdom of Bahrain, sympathizing with and favoring the State of Qatar or objecting to the measures taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain through social media, whether through tweets, contributions or any other written or spoken means, is a punishable crime with sentences that can go up to five years’ imprisonment including fines”.

Attorney Issa Al-Bourshid arrested

(June 13, 2017) The security authorities arrested attorney Issa Al-Faraj Al-Rahmah Al-Bourshid, following his tweets that rejected the decision to boycott Qatar. The Ministry of Interior declared in a statement that Al-Bourshid had published “content that is harmful to the social fabric and the national unity” on social networks. While the Ministry’s statement did not specify the nature of the “content” in question, it hinted that his tweets “were sympathizing with Qatar”, which is banned by the country. The Ministry declared in the statement that “the necessary legal procedures are being completed in preparation for referring the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office”. His arrest came after he filed a lawsuit against the authorities because of Manama’s participation in the Qatari blockade. He was released on June 21, 2017, after spending nearly a week in prison.

Al-Wasat Newspaper decides to lay off its employees

(June 24, 2017) Al-Wasat Newspaper decided to lay off its employees three weeks after it had been suspended by the authorities under the accusations of “spreading and broadcasting content that creates divide” in society and damages the Bahraini foreign relations. The newspaper administration informed its employees of the decision through an e-mail broadcasted on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr. In the email, Adel Al-Maskati, Chairman of Dar Al-Wasat Publishing and Distribution Company, wrote “We regret to inform you that the Board of Directors has decided to terminate the employees’ contracts, due to the suspension of Al-Wasat Newspaper, according to the Ministry of Information’s decision on June 4, 2017, and the resulting losses for the company”.

Tweeter Tayba Ismail released

(June 26) The security authorities released Tayba Ismail after serving a year in prison following a comment she wrote on Twitter that was deemed offensive to the King of Bahrain. The Security Services had raided the home of the social media activist on Sunday, June 26, 2016. She was arrested on charges of “offending the King of Bahrain through comments on Twitter” after she unveiled her account identity. The Bahraini Judiciary had sentenced her to one year in prison with a fine of 1,000 Dinars.