Press release October 21, 2015
Bahrain: Zainab al Khawaja Sentenced over King’s Photo
Freedom House issued the following statement after a court in Bahrain upheld the year-long prison sentence of human rights activist Zainab al Khawaja for tearing up a photograph of Bahrain’s King Hamad.
Washington
In response to a court in Bahrain upholding the year-long prison sentence of human rights activist Zainab al Khawaja for tearing up a photograph of Bahrain’s King Hamad, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“The court conviction of Ms. Khawaja shows Bahrain’s utter contempt for free speech and citizens’ efforts to secure the most basic human rights,” said Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president. “King Hamad is returning Ms. Khawaja to prison for bringing attention to his intolerance for dissent.”
Background:
Zainab al Khawaja was sentenced to prison for ripping a picture of King Hamad during a previous court hearing. Her father, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, is serving a life sentence for his participation in pro-democracy protests in 2011. Her sister, Maryam, has been convicted in abstentia for allegedly assaulting police officers. Abdulhadi, Maryam, and Zainab al-Khawaja received Freedom House’s Freedom Award in 2012.
Bahrain is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2015, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2015, and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2014.