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Bahrain dissident politician freed from custody

November 25, 2016 at 3:06 pm

Bahraini authorities have freed opposition politician Ibrahim Sharif after arresting him for criticising Prince Charles for visiting the kingdom.

At the beginning of the month, Bahrain’s Cyber Crime Directorate accused Sharif of defaming the Arab Gulf kingdom when he criticised the British Prince of Wales’ visit whist giving an interview to a US news outlet.

Sharif said Prince Charles’s trip to the Gulf state fuelled human rights abuses perpetuated by his nation’s government. NGOs and human rights organisations have also condemned Prince Charles for his visit.

After his arrest, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office expressed its concern over Sharif’s detention and pledged to liaise with the Bahraini government to free Sharif.

In a tweet, the UK Embassy in Bahrain announced that Sharif was no longer in custody.

Bahrain is notorious for its crackdown on freedom of speech after a botched revolt led predominantly by Shia Bahrainis failed in 2011. Iran has been widely accused of being behind the aborted revolution.

Journalists, academics and even citizens who speak out against the government have been systematically arrested and have also been allegedly tortured for expressing dissent.