Bahrain Mirror: A Bahraini court decided on Wednesday (December 28, 2016) to release the prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, however, the Public Prosecution refrained from executing the court's decision.

The court had released Rajab under guarantee of his place of residence in order to listen to the prosecution's evidence and delayed his trial to (January 23, 2017).

The prosecution said that Rajab faces continued detention over disseminating false news and rumors in times of war that could harm Bahrain's internal situations.

For his part, Chief Prosecutor Mohammed Salah said that the High Criminal Court today (Wednesday, December 28, 2016) postponed to January 23, 2017 the trial of a suspect (referring to Nabeel Rajab) accused of disseminating false news and rumors in times of war that could harm the military operations carried out by Bahrain's armed forces and undermine the nation's determination. He went on to say that the suspect is also accused of publicly insulting a number of countries and a national authority and was put on trial in conformity with Articles 133, 215, 216 of the Penal Code.

The Chief Prosecutor added that the same suspect has been also questioned by the Anti-Cyber Crime Directorate in a different case related to disseminating false documents and malicious rumors on the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain that could damage its status.

The suspect was confronted with evidence in the presence of his lawyers and was ordered to remand him in custody pending further investigations. A decision was made to end the imprisonment of the defendant after he was referred to trial while in custody over the first case and the procedures were concluded, ordering to release him on December 28, 2016. However, Rajab was remanded in custody pending investigation over another case considered by the public prosecution

Arabic Version