Bahrain Mirror: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released today (Monday 24, 2016) the names of the 22 nominees for the 2016 Reporters Without Borders-TV5 Monde Prize for Press Freedom, among them a Bahraini journalist facing a possible life sentence in prison, and a citizenship revocation. 

In the "Citizen Journalists Set Up" profile, RSF said that the detainee Ali al-Mearaj (one of the managers of opposition Lulu-Awal website), might face a life imprisonment sentence and citizenship revocation, based on the charges by security forces.

The organization had mentioned earlier that blogger Ali Al-Mearaj, 36, was arrested on 6 January 2014 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on 8 April on charges of "misusing information technology" and insulting the king. A court was supposed to have heard his appeal on 5 May but the hearing was postponed and has been postponed again three more times (on 13 May, 14 June and 10 July), before his release in April 2016. 

RSF also mentioned that Al-Mearaj was arrested again without a legal order, and without the knowledge of his family, two months after his release. The organization reported before that according to its sources, Al-Mearaj is accused of supporting terrorism, and is facing a possibility of life imprisonment, and citizenship revocation.

The organization stated that many journalists and bloggers have continued to distinguish themselves in 2016 by the immense courage they display in their daily reporting despite the risks to their lives. It also added that many of this year's nominees, who are from 19 countries, are being prosecuted or are in prison for refusing to censor themselves. Others are exposed to threats and physical violence from those they dare to criticize.

Arabic Version