"It's not safe any more to voice your opinion in Bahrain, and in this consideration this blog is hereby closed," writes Mahmood out of left field today:
The Lower Criminal Court has passed sentence on Abdulhadi Al-Khawajah to be imprisoned for one year. I have no further details at the moment.
This was in the presence of a representative of Amnesty International.
This sentence is a bit much and I think is just an attempt for the government to save face. But at the cost of completely ridiculing Bahrain, its progress which it had enjoyed over the past 3 years. With this case, the government has effectively wiped out all gains since the National Referendum.
Does anyone know what this is about? We are heartbroken to lose touch with Mahmood. 'Hope it is only temporary.
Update: This just in on the AP wire:
Bahrain's king ordered the immediate release of human rights activist who was convicted of inciting hatred of the government and sentenced to one year in prison Sunday in a case linked to criticism of the prime minister.
The intervention by the king, Sheik Hamad, came hours after Abdul-Hadi al-Khawaja was sentenced in a courtroom where scores of his supporters chanted slogans against the prime minister.
The arrest of al-Khawaja raised fears that Bahrain -- which has made democratic reforms -- was taking new action against dissent.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said that by arresting the activist, "the prime minister is reverting to the authoritarian ways that had given Bahrain such a bad name in the past."
Bahrain has taken bold steps toward democratization, putting it ahead of its neighbors in the conservative region. But ultimate power remains with the king, Sheik Hamad. The prime minister is the king's uncle.
Al-Khawajah is Shiite, as are most of his supporters in this largely Shiite Muslim country ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family.
Bahrain had seen clashes in the past between government forces and Shiite Muslim Bahrainis, many of whom long have complained of discrimination and demanded better representation and equal rights.
'Sounds like the king is looking over his shoulder at developments in Iraq perhaps? The sooner the Shiite and Sunni Muslim communities decide to turn their swords into plowshares, the better for all. Ancient feuds are SO yesterday.
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