Daijiworld Media Network - Manama
Manama, Jan 12: Concerns have been raised by Bahraini activists and rights groups after prominent opposition leader Ebrahim Sharif was sentenced to six months in prison for criticising Bahrain’s ties with Israel.
Sharif, a well-known left-wing political figure, has been in detention since November on charges of spreading false news on social media and making offensive remarks against Arab states and their leaders. On Thursday, the Lower Criminal Court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of 200 Bahraini dinars.
The case stems from an interview Sharif gave to Lebanon-based LuaLuaTV, in which he criticised Arab governments for failing to support Palestinians and for normalising relations with Israel. The public prosecutor said Sharif’s remarks accused Arab countries of collusion and conspiracy and encouraged people to rise against their governments.
Bahrain was among the Arab states that normalised relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The move faced opposition within the country, with criticism intensifying following Israel’s military assault on Gaza that began in October 2023.
Rights groups have termed the verdict a dangerous escalation. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy described the sentence as a “chilling precedent”, saying it criminalises support for Palestine and further undermines freedom of expression in the kingdom.
This is the tenth time Sharif has been arrested, interrogated or prosecuted since 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in Bahrain. As head of the National Democratic Action Society, he emerged as a key secular voice during the uprising.
Bahrain’s prisons have long drawn criticism from international rights organisations for alleged torture and ill-treatment of political detainees. Recently, a US-based rights group urged sanctions against Bahrain’s interior minister, accusing him of overseeing abuse in detention facilities.
Despite Bahrain’s assurances to the United Nations regarding its human rights record, the UN Committee Against Torture has cited persistent reports of torture, ill-treatment and lack of accountability, warning of a continuing climate of impunity within the country’s criminal justice system.