(21 Feb 2018) LEAD IN:
A prominent human rights activist in Bahrain was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison over tweets alleging prison torture in his country and misconduct in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen.
STORY-LINE:
Nabeel Rajab's sentencing marks the latest chapter in a years-long crackdown on dissent in Bahrain, a tiny island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia that's home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.
He's already serving a two-year sentence handed down in July 2017 over television interviews he gave that included criticism of Bahrain.
Rajab has been hospitalised several times during his most-recent incarceration over heart problems and ulcers.
Rajab's Twitter account posted a message Wednesday saying he entered court with a "cheerful smile" before his sentencing.
After his sentencing, he raised his hands making a peace sign and laughed.
"The government accepts no kind of criticism, no tolerance towards people opposing their policies. That's why you see most of the human rights defenders today behind bars," said Rajab in 2015.
He is now living proof of that.
Activists at a recent news conference had already signposted their concern for Rajab's wellbeing.
"We have reasons to believe that his health conditions are not treated in an adequate way. So our sources, credible information sources, reveal that Nabeel safety is at risk and we fear for his life," said Dimitris Christopoulos, president of FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) at the end of January.
Western diplomats were on hand for Rajab's trial Wednesday in Manama, Bahrain's capital.
Bahraini officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bahrain's constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of speech.
However, Rajab was prosecuted under laws making it illegal to offend a foreign country, spread rumours at wartime or "insult" a government agency.
Rajab's legal problems began after Bahrain quashed 2011 Arab Spring protests.
In August 2012, Rajab was sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly fomenting clashes between police and protesters.
He was already serving a three-month sentence for posting anti-government comments on Twitter.
He was released in May 2014 after serving two years, but was detained again over his comments on Twitter.
Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pardoned Rajab in July 2015 over concerns about his health after the activist served some three months in prison.
But Rajab was again arrested in June 2016.
Bahrain, a nation only some 760 square kilometres (290 square miles) in size, is home to some 1.4 million people.
About half are Bahraini citizens, the majority of them Shiite.
The island has been ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family.
King Hamad, who took the throne in 1999, initially took steps to move the country from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one.
The first parliamentary elections since 1973 were held in 2002.
However, its Shiite majority accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens.
They joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011 as Arab Spring protests swept the wider Middle East.
Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped put down the demonstrations violently.
Amid this recent crackdown, local Shiite militant groups have carried out several attacks on security forces.
Independent news gathering in Bahrain has also grown more difficult, with the government refusing to accredit two Associated Press reporters and others while shutting down a prominent local independent newspaper.
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