Bahrain Mirror - Reuters: A prominent Bahraini doctor jailed for five years in connection with the 2011 Arab Spring uprising for democracy was released from prison on Friday, a lawyer and witness said.

Ali al-Ekry was among 20 medics, all Shi'ite Muslims, who were sentenced in September 2011 to prison terms ranging from five to 15 years on charges including occupying a hospital, theft of medical equipment and incitement to topple the state.

Most were cleared or given reduced sentences on appeal, including Ekry, a senior orthopaedic surgeon at Manama's Salmaniya hospital.

Bahrain has crushed the revolt with help from fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members but tensions continued to simmer with the government and the opposition failing to reach an agreement on sharing power in the Sunni-ruled western allied country where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based.

Bahraini lawyer Abdullah al-Shamlawi congratulated Ekry on his release in a tweet.

The release coincided with rising tensions in the Western-allied Gulf Arab kingdom as authorities step up a crackdown on the opposition in what rights groups said was a drive to root out dissent.

Arabic Version