January and February 2017: A beginning full of violations, the electronic version of “Al-Wasat” newspaper is suspended, tweeters convicted of “insulting the king” and others under investigation for “insulting the Chamber of Commerce”

London – Bahrain Press Association – February 27, 2017: The year 2017 did not bring positive signs for the people in the media and the press. The authorities’ decision to execute three protesters at the beginning of the year was a very serious and dangerous development that cast a negative shadow on the remaining spaces of public freedoms. Despite the decision of the Council of Ministers to refer a new draft regarding the press and the media to a ministerial committee to drop all prison sentences against journalists; the reality was heading in a completely opposite direction than the provisions of the laws.

The records of the Bahrain Press Association reveal many violations that have been directed mainly at journalists because of their actual work or their public criticism that contradicted the government’s wishes. The electronic version of the country’s sole independent newspaper, Al-Wasat, was suspended. Moreover, a local court upheld the detention of the sports journalist and victim of torture Faisal Hayyat for 3 months.

The security authorities kept detaining the human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, following his tweets on social networking sites. The first trial of Radio Montecarlo International and France 24’s reporter Naziha Said was also held. This was also the case for photographer Mazen Mahdi. At the level of the social media tweeters, the authorities summoned businessman Mohammed Hassan Al-Aaradi on charges of “criticizing the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry”, and tweeter Yunus Mohammed Jumaa was sentenced for one year in prison for “insulting the king.”

Here are the details below:

Referral of the press law to a ministerial committee

(January 2, 2017) The Bahraini Council of Ministers referred the Press and Media Law, which will replace Law 47/2002 that deals with the organization of the press, printing and publishing, as well as electronic media, to the Ministerial Committee for Social Services, Communication and Media, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, And as highlighted by the Minister of Information’s presentation during the session, the bill deals with the organization of the press, printing, publishing and the issuance of newspapers and electronic papers.

Release of Dr. Said Al-Samahiji

(January 3, 2017) The security authorities released the eye doctor, Said Al-Samahiji, following the completion of his one-year sentence, after being convicted of insulting a sister country, and publicly inciting not to follow the laws in social networking sites. The Second Supreme Criminal Court had issued a decision on September 7, 2016 in support of the verdict for a one-year prison sentence for Dr. Al-Samahiji, with immediate effect.

Support for the imprisonment of journalist Faisal Hayyat

(January 4, 2017) The Court of Appeal upheld the imprisonment of journalist Faisal Hayyat for 3 months. As previously the First Instance Court had sentenced Hayyat to 3 months in prison for “insulting a religious symbol” following a tweet that was deemed as offending Yazid Bin Mouawiyah, one of the rulers of the Umayyad state 14 centuries ago. This came after Hayyat sent an open letter to the Minister of Interior in which he reported that he had been tortured by the employees of the Ministry of Interior during his detention in 2011.

Extension of Nabeel Rajab’s detention by 15 days

(January 5, 2017) The Public Prosecution in Bahrain decided to extend the detention of the head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabil Rajab, for an additional 15 days, for further investigation on charges of “spreading false news.” On December 28, 2016, the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that Nabeel Rajab was facing continued imprisonment in a case involving “spreading false news and rumors about the internal situation in Bahrain”, and the court decided on the same day to release Rajab and ban him from traveling. The court also decided to postpone his case to January 23, 2017, in order to be presented with the prosecution’s evidence.

Reduction of photographer Houssam Sourour’s sentence from 15 to 5 years

(January 5, 2017) The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of photographer Houssam Sourour from 15 to 5 years. On April 21, 2016, a local court had sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment for “participating in an unauthorized rally” and “attacking the police”, before the sentence was then reduced after being reviewed by the Court of Appeal.

Journalist Naziha Said’s first trial session

(January 16, 2017) The Minor Civil Court decided to postpone the hearing for the case filed by the Ministry of Information against journalist Naziha Said, the reporter for French Radio Monte Carlo International and French channel France 24, to February 28. The case was adjourned at the request of defense attorney Hameed Al-Mulla at a hearing on Monday, January 16th, which was the first hearing allowing the defense to review all the documents relating to Naziha Said’s case and charge of “practicing work in the press without a license”.

The Court of Cassation overturns the sentence of photographer Sayed Ahmed Al-Moussawi

(January 16, 2017) The Court of Cassation overturned the sentence imposed on photographer Sayed Ahmed Al-Moussawi which includes 10 years in prison and revocation of his nationality. On November 23, 2015, a local court sentenced Al-Moussawi to imprisonment on charges of “establishing a terrorist cell through telephone” as well as “illegal rallying” and “rioting”. The photographer’s family confirmed that he had been subjected to “stripping from all his clothes, torturing by suspension, electric shocks and being forced to stand for long hours over the course of 4 days.”

The Ministry of Information suspend the electronic version of “Al-Wasat” newspaper

(January 16, 2017) The Ministry of Information issued a decision to suspend the circulation and use of “Al-Wasat” media (electronic version) immediately and until further notice. The ministry explained that its decision was taken “because the newspaper repeatedly published and broadcasted content that creates divide in the society, and promotes a spirit of dissension and damage to national unity and endangering the public peace” in a statement distributed to the press.

Photographer Mazen Mahdi’s arrest

(January 18, 2017) The security authorities arrested photographer Mazen Mehdi, photographer for the German News Agency, while covering the protests that followed the execution carried by the authorities for 3 citizens accused of killing an Emirati policeman. Medi was released later on the same day after being in custody for a brief period.

Nabeel Rajab’s trial on charges of “spreading false news” starts

(January 19, 2017) The Minor Criminal Court decided to look into the case against human rights activist Nabeel Rajab on charges of “publishing and broadcasting false and malicious news, statements and rumors about the internal situation in the Kingdom” and “the tortures in Jaw prison” through his participation in external television interventions and making statements that subvert the truth. The first session was held on January 23, 2017, during which a technical report related to the case was presented, before the Court decided to postpone the session until February 21.

Tweeter Yunus Shakhouri imprisoned for “insulting the king”

(February 9, 2017) The Higher Criminal Court sentenced tweeter Yunus Mohammed Jumaa Shakhouri (36 years) to one year in prison for “insulting the King”, “inciting hatred of the regime” and “calling for unauthorized demonstrations against the law” through social media. According to the lawsuit, the defendant had “created an account on the Twitter site”, and that the Cyber Crime Directorate received intel that the account was publishing political tweets, inciting hatred towards the regime and calling on people to come out to demonstrate. Therefore, investigations were conducted and led to arresting Shakhouri, where the prosecution charged him with insulting His Majesty the King, and inciting hatred towards the regime.

Journalist Mazen Mahdi shot with a tear gas canister

(February 14, 2017) Journalist Mazen Mehdi was shot with a tear gas canister by the police. Mehdi was covering the annual protests in the Sitra district, south of Manama, on the 6th anniversary of the February 14 protests, when the security forces directed a tear gas canister at him.

Businessman Mohammed Hassan Al-Aaradi summoned on charges of “criticizing the Chamber of Commerce”

(February 20, 2017) The Cyber Crime Directorate summoned businessman Mohammed Hassan al-Aaradi for investigation following a complaint filed against him by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, related to his comments on “Twitter”, where he criticized the Chamber’s performance. Al-Aaradi announced that “the Chamber’s complaint accuses me of supporting the statements of the Bahraini Commercial and Industrial Coalition, which criticizes the Chamber’s performance and exposes its inadequacies. And I have already denied any representation of this coalition despite the fact that I agree with many of the points seen in its statements, and I have already confirmed publishing some of this data on Twitter, based on the grounds of freedom of opinion and freedom of speech, as such data was already published in many social media.