Source: FIDH
Nabeel Rajab
President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and FIDH Deputy Secretary General
Arbitrarily detained since
October 1, 2014
Nabeel Rajab has been demanding democratic reforms, social justice and human rights in Bahrain since the 1990s. He has been one of the most prominent voices denouncing human rights abuses perpetrated in the context of the popular uprising that started in March 2011. He has used the media and social networks extensively for this purpose. “We are against violence” Nabeel Rajab says, calling for dialogue and for the end of repression and human rights violations. As a result of his outspokenness, Nabeel Rajab was arrested, beaten up and subjected to defamation campaigns in pro-government newspapers, threats and travel bans. Arrested in July 2011, he was sentenced on appeal in December 2012 to two years in prison for participating in peaceful gatherings and calling others to join. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found his detention to be arbitrary under international law, and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. However, the Bahraini Court of Appeals has continuously refused to grant Nabeel Rajab early release. Nabeel Rajab completed his sentence and was released in June 2014.
On October 1, 2014, Nabeel Rajab was summoned in the framework of a 45-minute investigation at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), IT Crimes Section. The investigation concerned certain tweets published by Nabeel on Twitter, which the CID alleged were insulting the Ministry of Interior, pursuant to Article 216 of the Bahraini Penal Code… If convicted, he could face up to three years imprisonment. On October, 2, The Public Prosecution orders 7 day detention pending further investigations for Nabeel Rajab.
