Dubai: The High Criminal Court in Bahrain on Wednesday sentenced government critic Nabeel Rajab to five years in prison over “disseminating false news and malicious rumours during a time of war that could affect the military operations carried out by Bahrain military forces and weaken the resolve of the nation.”
Other charges brought against him included publicly insulting other countries and a Bahraini national institution.
In its technical report, the public prosecution said that they collected the evidence from the defendant’s laptop and mobile that included several social media accounts, including his own account on Twitter that was used to propagate the false news and rumours.
The prosecution said that the charges were based on Articles 133, 215 and 216 of Bahrain’s Penal Code.
Nabeel Rajab is serving a two-year sentence ruled by a court in July after it found him guilty of broadcasting false details and rumours about the internal situation in the country that could harm its status.
The sentence was upheld by the appeals court in November.
