Bahraini court postpones prominent rights activist's verdict

A Bahraini court has postponed its verdict in the trial of prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, who is charged with criticizing the Manama government.

According to the reports, the criminal court, scheduled to give its verdict at Thursday's hearing, postponed the ruling until October 31.

Rajab is being tried over the tweets he posted in March 2015, which accused Bahraini regime forces of torturing detainees in a main prison and criticized the Manama regime’s assistance to the Saudi military campaign against Yemen.

According to the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA), Rajab is accused of "spreading false news and rumors and inciting propaganda during wartime, which could undermine the war operations by the Bahraini armed forces and weaken the nation."

Bahrain has been helping Saudi Arabia in its military aggression against Yemen, which started in March 2015.

Britain-based rights group, International Amnesty, says if convicted, the activist could face up to 13 years in prison.

Rajab, who has been repeatedly detained for organizing anti-regime demonstrations and publishing posts critical of the ruling Al Khalifah family, was pardoned for health reasons last year. The 51-year-old campaigner was, however, rearrested again in June.

SS