OPPOSITION activist Nabeel Rajab’s wife and daughter took to the stand yesterday as he faced charges of disseminating false information through social media.
Mr Rajab has gone on trial in the High Criminal Court for allegedly posting falsified and defamatory information on his Twitter account.
In one of his posts, he allegedly described security institutions as an “ideological incubator” of terrorism.
Mr Rajab, who has been in police custody since May, and his defence team attended yesterday’s hearing that was held in a packed courtroom in the presence of representatives from foreign embassies.
His wife and daughter claimed during cross examination that Mr Rajab did not have control over the Twitter account in question, @NabeelRajab.
“My father never said that he ran the Twitter account or posted the tweets,” his daughter said in court.
Her testimony was reiterated by her mother who also dismissed claims that Mr Rajab confessed to the charges.
“What was said that my husband admitted to running the account was not true,” she said.
“I was not with him during questioning but he told me that he did not say this during questioning at the Public Prosecution.”
Video footage of Mr Rajab was screened during a previous open court hearing as part of evidence he had access to his Twitter account.
He was seen in the videos talking to the media about comments he had made through the same account.
The trial was adjourned to September 27 for review.
Mr Rajab criticised Bahrain’s government in a number of interviews with media outlets that included Vice News and RT, as well as an interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
He is also standing trial for allegedly sharing pictures of bloodshed in Syria and Palestine, but claiming they were taken in Yemen; describing air strikes against Houthi rebels as an act of aggression that breached international law; and insulting coalition forces taking part in Yemen operations.
He is facing charges of disseminating false information and rumours during wartime to undermine those involved, as well as insulting a number of countries.
In addition, he has been charged with insulting the Interior Ministry and the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre – after he allegedly claimed inmates were “tortured, humiliated and mistreated” in prison.
In addition, he has been charged with insulting the Interior Ministry and the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre, as well as spreading false news about Bahrain in an article published by French newspaper Le Monde on December 20.
Mr Rajab is also facing an additional charge for an op-ed he allegedly wrote for The New York Times on September 4.
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