Bahrain to Try Human Rights Activist for Tweets

Nabeel Rajab will face trial in Bahrain, also home of the US Fifth Fleet, for tweets he sent condemning the Kingdom’s prison system and its involvement in the war in Yemen, according to his lawyer. Rajab, who was arrested last month, could face up to 13 years in prison. Rajab’s arrest is seen as part of an escalating crackdown in Bahrain by the Sunni-led government on all criticism. Earlier this month, the government decided to take away Bahraini citizenship from the spiritual leader of the country’s Shi’ite majority. The government also shut down a prominent opposition society. Human rights groups charge that detainees are routinely tortured in prison and there are sharp curbs on freedom of expression.