Bahrain court upholds jail term for Sunni activist

By Ahmed al-Masri

MANAMA (AA) – A Bahraini appeals court on Monday upheld a one-year jail term against a Sunni opposition leader for incitement against the government.

In February, Ibrahim Sharif, a former secretary-general of Waed political group, was sentenced to one year in prison for inciting hatred against the government.

He was also accused of promoting a change of government by force, but the court dismissed the charge.

On Monday, the court rejected Sharif’s appeal against his sentence and upheld his one-year jail term, according to local media.

In 2011, Sharif was jailed for more than four years on charges of plotting to overthrow the ruling regime. He, however, was released under a royal pardon.

Bahrain was rocked by revolt in 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in the tiny Gulf state as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings.

The Sunni-led government blames Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition movement, for the upheaval, accusing the Shia party of pursuing an "Iranian agenda".

Al-Wefaq, for its part, denies the allegations, saying it wants to see a "constitutional government" set up in the kingdom.