Bahrain | GlobalPost

Bahrain court cuts policeman's 7-year jail term

Agence France-PresseMay 26, 2013 17:46

A Bahraini appeals court on Sunday reduced a seven-year jail term handed down to a policeman accused of killing a Shiite protester in 2011 to six months, a judicial source told AFP. In a separate case, the court acquitted two other police officers who had faced charges of killing another protester, the same source said. The first officer was sentenced in January to seven years for beating a Shiite protester to death, and the two others were acquitted of shooting dead a demonstrator in November 2011.

Bahraini protesters clash with police over raid on cleric's home

Thomson ReutersMay 24, 2013 16:43

LONDON (Reuters) - Hundreds of Bahraini Shi'ite Muslims angered by a raid last week on a top cleric's home clashed with police on Friday, while thousands more gathered in the cleric's village for a peaceful sit-in against their Sunni-led government. The raid by security forces on the home of Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim on May 17 infuriated the opposition and drew condemnation from neighboring Shi'ite power Iran.

Iran denies its drone violated Bahrain's airspace

Thomson ReutersMay 23, 2013 12:31

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran denied on Thursday that one of its drones had violated the airspace of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, Iranian media reported. Bahrain's Information Minister Samira Rajab told Reuters on Thursday that an unmanned spy drone was found in the Gulf waters between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The incident could further inflame tensions between the two countries.

Main Bahrain opposition group temporarily boycotts talks

Thomson ReutersMay 22, 2013 14:01

DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain's main opposition group suspended its participation in reconciliation talks with the government for two weeks on Wednesday, blaming the slow pace of talks and the raid last week on a top Shi'ite Muslim cleric's home. Little progress has been achieved in the talks that began in February as part of efforts to end two years of political deadlock following pro-democracy protests by majority Shi'ite Muslims in 2011 that were crushed by the Sunni-led government.

Bahrain opposition says to boycott dialogue for 2 weeks

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 11:15

Bahrain's opposition said Wednesday it will boycott the national dialogue for two weeks after a crackdown by authorities that has seen "hundreds of citizens" arrested and home of a prominent Shiite cleric raided. The opposition entered into a dialogue with the government in February which aims at resolving the political deadlock in the Shiite-majority kingdom, but the talks have been dogged by disagreement between the two sides. The dialogue is being held twice a week after it started on February 10.

Bahrain court jails 6 tweeters for a year

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 10:01

A Bahraini court on Wednesday sentenced six tweeters charged with insulting King Hamad to one year in prison, the public prosecutor's office announced. The six were charged by the lower criminal court with "misusing the right of free expression," it said in a statement. They were accused of writing remarks "undermining the values and traditions of Bahrain's society towards the king on Twitter," according to the statement.

Bahrain court jails 6 tweeters for a year

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 08:15

Thousands in Bahrain protest against 'torture'

Agence France-PresseMay 11, 2013 23:55

Thousands of partisans of Bahrain's opposition demonstrated near Manama on Friday to protest against the alleged torture of jailed regime opponents, witnesses said. Gathered around the Shiite village of Daih, men and women waved Bahrain's national flag and held up signs that read: "Manama, capital of torture," the witnesses said. "Torture is a practice rooted in the security agencies," in Bahrain, the main Shiite opposition bloc Al-Wefaq said in a statement.

Bahraini lawmakers call on U.S. envoy to end "interference"

Thomson ReutersMay 7, 2013 10:38

By Yara Bayoumy DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini lawmakers have urged the government to stop the U.S. ambassador in Bahrain from "interfering in domestic affairs" and meeting government opponents, newspaper reports and a lawmaker in the U.S.-allied Gulf state said on Monday. The reports said the government had agreed to the proposal and would take diplomatic measures, but it was not immediately clear what those steps would entail.

Bahrain arrests four over police checkpoint attack

Agence France-PresseMay 7, 2013 05:30

Bahraini security forces have arrested four people suspected of attacking a police checkpoint with petrol bombs south of Manama at the weekend, the interior ministry said. "Four of the terrorists who attacked police checkpoint on Sunday evening with petrol bombs have been arrested," the ministry said late Monday. It said the attack took place in the district of Jari al-Sheikh, south of the capital, adding the identity of others suspected of being involved was being probed.