Bahrain: Candidate Gets Six-Month Jail Term for Clips Defaming Electoral Authority
A candidate’s six-month jail term has been upheld by the Cassation Court confirming that he deliberately made false allegations against the electoral authority to tarnish its reputation. The Public Prosecution had charged the individual with disseminating online videos that accused the electoral authority in the Northern Governorate of manipulating election results.
In response, an inquiry committee was established to examine the validity of these claims and summoned multiple candidates for investigation. Upon thorough review, the committee concluded that the allegations made by the candidate were baseless and unfounded.
Consequently, the Public Prosecution pressed charges against the candidate for defaming the electoral authority. Initially, a trial court sentenced the defendant to three months in prison, but upon appeal by the Public Prosecution, the sentence was increased by an additional three months. Despite his own appeal, the defendant’s efforts to overturn the judgment proved unsuccessful, leading to the confirmation of the six-month jail term.
