BPA: Fining journalists in Al Wasat's suit seen as escape of acquittal

[محروم.كوم]

15-10-11 07:00 PM



LONDON, October 11, 2011 – Bahrain Press Association "BPA", the London-based association concerned with defending Bahrain media and press people, labeled today's judgment to fine four journalists as an escape to grant acquittal to them. This comes to reaffirm the fact that the rights of journalists in Bahrain are violated amid the pro-democracy protests erupted early in the year. The list of defendant journalists includes, all of whom are Alwasat Daily Newspaper staff that is the only independent daily in the Kingdom, Dr. Mansoor Al Jamri, co-founder and editor-in-chief, Walid Nouwehed, the managing editor, Aqeel Mirza, the local news head, and Ali Al Shareefi who was tried in absentia. The four journalists were fined BD 1,000 each (around US$ 2650) over charges of their alleged role to disseminate misleading news.


Last week, Dr. Mansoor Al Jamiri was honored with the International Press Freedom Award by the CPJ for the efforts he spent to stand for the freedom of press in the wake of the severe March crackdown following the GCC military intervention and martial law declaration. The journalists' attorneys pleaded before the judge of the criminal court pertaining to the prosecution's allegations filled against Dr. Mansoor and his fellow staff over the publication of false and misleading news in the daily that the defendants were not guilty. The defense proved that the news supply came from a single internet service provider (ISP) located in a nearby GCC capital. The four journalists had been set up in a time it was difficult for all staff to attend to work premises after the printing house of Al Wasat was attacked by pro-regime thugs. The other office of the daily, located to the west of the Capital Manama in a hot-spot area, was nearly shut down due to a curfew and that employees could not attend as well to verify the news validity. The defense team suspected the source of this fabricated news and demanded that the identity of its supplier be unveiled.

Added to this, the Bahraini civil courts and the notorious national safety courts will see many Bahraini journalists go on trial, a list of whom includes journalists, photographers, and bloggers. The accused media people are to be tried for charges like making statements to foreign TV channels.

It is worth mentioning that the Bahrain Press Association released a report named 'Bahrain: Word Leading to Death' at the start of this month that documents the wide range of violations against scores of media individuals and the associated torture and mass dismissal that claimed about 129 of them along with tens of reporters and journalists representing regional and international media outlets.

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For more information, please contact:
Bahrain Press Association
UK ? +447821135441
US ? +12403869925
Email: [email protected]



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