MANAMA, 16 March 2005 — Bahrain has freed three men detained for operating a website critical of the government.
But Ali Abdul Imam, a 27-year-old computer engineer, and colleagues Hussein Yousif and Mohammed Al-Mousawi, who were released late Monday, still face charges over spreading material seen as hostile to the government and royal family.
“They freed all of us and now I am at home with my family,” said Imam, who ran www.bahrainonline.org. The site receives about 200,000 hits each day.
The three men were detained two weeks ago on charges of defaming the king, inciting hatred against the regime and spreading rumors and lies that could cause disorder.
According to their lawyer Ahmed Al-Arrayed, they were released after the public prosecutor waved a 1,000-dinar ($2,660) bail which they refused to post.
Imam said he and his colleagues had not been told when they would be questioned again or if the public prosecutor would respond to their request to bring an independent web expert into the investigation to help clear up technical matters.
“We sought to prove to the prosecutor that anyone can log on to the website and post any material. We can control the material after, not before, it is posted,” Imam said.
Last Thursday, police dispersed dozens of supporters who rallied outside the police station where the three were held. Another protest was staged outside the prosecutor’s office Sunday.
Calls for the men’s release also came from Paris-based media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
Imam said he would meet his colleagues to decide the fate of their website. However, the state-run Bahrain Telecommunications Co. (Batelco) was told Monday to permanently block the site.
The move is part of an ongoing probe by prosecutors into the trio. Batelco was also ordered to take the necessary technical measures to remove any pictures and data considered defamatory. A handful of other sites have also been banned by the state.
In 2002, Bahrain’s Information Ministry censored Internet sites on the grounds of inciting sectarianism or propagating lies, sparking protests by activists.
Some analysts said the anti-government rhetoric had included comments that were excessive and counterproductive.
King Hamad, whose government keeps close tabs on the media, last week urged editors to show self-restraint for the sake of national unity. “There are no limits to freedom, but this freedom should be based on patriotism,” he said days after the website arrests.
Other site administrators, who campaigned for the release of Imam and his colleagues, said they fear more arrests. “The government is limiting freedom of speech and censoring the local press. There are some issues you can never talk about in any newspaper,” said one webmaster, speaking in a Manama cafe.
“Many times, writers whose articles are rejected by newspapers come and post them on our web site. Some of them are prominent opposition figures,” the 32-year-old engineer said.
Bahraini villagers have set up websites to complain about lack of services such as public housing and infrastructure in their poor areas.
Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has launched some political reforms, but the opposition says the steps fall short of their aspirations and demand a bigger role in running the country of around 650,000 people.
— With input from agencies
