A Bahraini court has postponed until December 28 the trial of prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who has been behind bars over online comments deemed insulting to the ruling Al Khalifah regime and Saudi Arabia.
Judicial sources said a Manama court on Thursday adjourned the trial of Rajab for a fourth time and rejected calls for his release.
The sources said defense lawyers argued for the release of the rights campaigner, saying he was innocent of charges leveled against him.
The court, however, turned down their request and said it was awaiting an experts' report on "who is running Rajab's Twitter account" while he remains behind bars.
Rajab, the founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, is accused of "spreading false news and rumors during a time of war." If found guilty, he could be jailed for 15 years.
He was arrested on June 13 for comments on Twitter that criticized the kingdom's role in Saudi-led military operations in Yemen, according to Human Rights Watch.
On November 24, the rights campaigner was taken to hospital from prison due to heart problems after being held in solitary confinement for three months.
The 52-year-old activist has been repeatedly detained for organizing pro-democracy demonstrations and publishing Twitter posts deemed “insulting” to the Bahraini authorities.
He was pardoned for health reasons last year, but arrested again on June 13, following an intensive search of his house in the northwest of the country. Reports suggest he has been subjected to harassment in jail.
Human Rights Watchdog has called for Rajab's immediate release, saying the charges against him "inherently violate the right to free expression."
Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the kingdom on February 14, 2011.
They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.
On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to Bahrain to assist the Manama government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.
Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Manama regime’s crackdown on anti-regime activists.
