Bahrain Mirror: The UN Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its "serious concern" about the ongoing prosecution of President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, calling on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him.

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liz Throssell, said in a press release (Friday December 23, 2016), "Mr Rajab, who was convicted and then pardoned for tweets he wrote in 2014, currently faces a series of charges." 

The press release issued in a Geneva-held press conference, Throssell added, "These relate to comments on social media regarding torture in Jaw prison, and critiquing the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes in Yemen, charges that carry maximum sentences of 10 and three years respectively."

"Criticizing the Government should not be the grounds for detention or prosecution and we call on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Rajab," the UN High Commissioner press release further read.

The UN High Commissioner's office further urged "the Government of Bahrain to take all necessary steps to secure the right to freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with fundamental principles set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Bahrain ratified in 2006."

Arabic Version