Bahraini activist, to be freed on bail, ordered held again
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A prominent activist in Bahrain held for over seven months on charges stemming from a series of tweets was to be released on bail Wednesday until prosecutors ordered him back into custody over other investigations.
The sudden reversal stunned supporters of Nabeel Rajab, who helped lead Bahrain’s 2011 Arab Spring protests. His trial has been criticized by the United Nations and others as an attempt to suppress free speech.
Defence lawyer Jalila Sayed confirmed Rajab would continue to be held after earlier saying he suffered from poor health.
“Nabeel is overall weak because of so many health problems he started facing, including heart problems and other physical issues,” Sayed told The Associated Press. “He’s under tremendous stress because of this length of detention.”