Bahrain Mirror: The Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human rights, Mr Pier Antonio Panzeri expressed his disappointment at the Bahrain court's ruling rejecting Nabeel Rajab's appeal and upholding his 2-year prison sentence.

In a statement, Panzeri called on Bahrain to re-examine Rajab's appeal and said he was "very alarmed by the Bahrain Court decision to uphold a two-year sentence against Nabeel Rajab for having given televised interviews in which he addressed Bahrain's poor human rights record."

"This decision goes against international law and his detention violates Nabeel Rajab's right to freedom of expression," he added, noting that "this case should never have gone to trial in the first place."

The statement further called on the government of Bahrain to reconsider its decision and re-examine Rajab's appeal in the light of evidence provided by his defence," stressing that Bahrain authorities should lift restrictions on fundamental democratic rights, notably the freedoms of expression, association and assembly, political pluralism and the rule of law in Bahrain.

The Subcommittee also called for an end to all acts of violence, harassment and intimidation, including at judicial level, and to the censorship of human rights defenders.

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