The Bahrain Court of Appeals convicted rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja [6] on charges related to her ripping up a photo of the Bahraini king during a court hearing in 2014, Amnesty International [7] said Oct. 21. Her appeal reduced her charges for insulting the king from three years to one year in prison. She has also been fined 3,000 Bahraini dinars ($7,953.34), and if she fails to pay the fine her prison term may be extended by a year-and-a-half. She previously spent almost a year-and-a-half in prison and has been arrested and released three times since December 2011. Presently she is appealing three separate convictions against her, including a four-sentence for two charges of "destroying public property" and a one-year sentence for "insulting a police officer" while visiting her father in jail. Zainab al-Khawaja is the daughter of prominent activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja [8], currently in prison for life for his participation in pro-democracy protests in 2011.
From Jurist [9], Oct. 21. Used with permission.
