Bahrain Mirror: The European Union called for the release of prominent Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab on Wednesday (July 12, 2017), stressing that the two-year prison sentence issued against him runs against Bahrain's international commitments.

"The decision of the Bahraini Lower Criminal Court to sentence human rights defender Nabeel Rajab to two years' imprisonment in absentia for media interviews he gave in 2015 and 2016 runs against Bahrain's commitment to uphold freedom of expression and work towards creating space for independent activism," said the EU in a statement.

They further noted that Rajab has been repeatedly arrested and served several terms in prison. "Neither him, who has been hospitalized in the Ministry of Interior hospital since April, nor his lawyers, were present at the hearing," the statement stressed.

The EU called on the Bahraini government to release him, including on humanitarian grounds.

Concluding their statement, the European Union said that they "seize this opportunity to once again encourage all parties in Bahrain to contribute to dialogue and national reconciliation in a peaceful and constructive manner.

Arabic Version