EU Reiterates Calls for Bahraini Activist’s Release

Local Editor

The European Union (EU) reiterated its calls on Manama to free prominent Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab after he was sentenced to five additional years in prison over tweets.

A spokesperson for the bloc's European External Action Service (EEAS) described Rajab's case as "a symbol for human rights defenders and respect of freedom of speech, in Bahrain and beyond."

"This new sentence, as well as the open cases against Mr Rajab, run counter to the Government of Bahrain's own commitments as the country prepares itself for new parliamentary elections," the EEAS statement reads.

Rajab was convicted for posting critical tweets of the Saudi-led war in Yemen and Manama's treatment of prisoners. He was already serving a 2-year prison term over television interviews and faces additional charges over op-eds published in the New York Times.

Source: LuaLua TV, Edited by website team