Bahrain Mirror: One day after a Bahraini court upheld 5-year jail term against Nabeel Rajab over tweets he posted on Twitter, the European Union called on the Bahraini government to release him.

The European Union said in a statement after the verdict that there are reasons to believe that Rajab's right to a fair trial was not respected, as with previous rulings in January and February 2018.

The EU reiterated its unconditional support to the work undertaken by human rights defenders such as Mr. Rajab. Freedom of opinion and expression are essential features of any democratic system and need to be upheld.

The European Union stressed that it continues to call on the Bahraini government to grant Rajab's release, including on humanitarian grounds given the reported deterioration of his health.

"Once again, the European Union expects all parties in Bahrain to engage in a genuine dialogue with a view to relaunching a process of national reconciliation in a peaceful and constructive manner," the statement further stated.

Arabic Version