Bahrain Mirror: Adam Rajab, son of prominent human rights defender, said that his father spent 4 out of the 7 uprising years in prison, most of which were in solitary confinement.

In a short video prepared by Amnesty International within its campaign to pressure on the Bahraini authorities to release Nabeel Rajab, on the eve of his sentencing, Adam said "Once, during my childhood, I remember my father returning [home] from documenting a protest [calling] for the improvement of the human rights situation in Bahrain, I remember asking him why do you go out if you always come back beaten with blood all over your clothes. He said: if we are beaten and then stop [protesting] after being beaten, then we have not achieved anything and they have won. Despite the beating we have to continue and keep going."  

Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said in the video "since I have been appointed on the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, I have, at many occasions, called the authorities in Bahrain to immediately release Rajab."

"Nabeel Rajab is a human rights defender who is fighting for all your rights and not just his rights, that's why whatever happens, Nabeel Rajab will never be silenced," said the Bahraini cleric and human rights defender Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman.

Reina Wehbi from Amnesty International stated that "the right of freedom of expression is guaranteed in the international convention on political and civil rights. Nabeel Rajab is a prisoner of conscience. We call on the Bahraini authorities to unconditionally release him."

Meanwhile, Rahman Gharib, General Director of Metro Center for Journalists Rights, said "we call for his release because the detention of human rights defenders is a disrespect for freedom, disrespect for democracy and disrespect of international conventions that protect human rights."

Nawaf Al-Hendal, Kuwaiti human rights defender, said "Mr. Nabeel Rajab has exercised his right to freedom of expression. We denounce his detention or prosecution because of this activity. We call on the Bahraini authorities to immediately release Mr. Nabeel Rajab."

For her part, activist Maryam Al-Khawaja stated: "When you see people being put behind bars sentenced to 2 years and facing another 15 years for tweeting, you know that there is something wrong. You know that this is the time when the international society needs to step in and needs to uphold the international standards for protection of freedom and human rights."

Arabic Version