Bahraini court upholds six-month jail term against high school Shia student

A court in Bahrain has upheld a six-month jail term against a Shia high school student as the ruling Al Khalifah regime intensifies its crackdown against political dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners in the tiny Gulf kingdom.

A court in Bahrain has upheld a six-month jail term against a Shia high school student as the ruling Al Khalifah regime intensifies its crackdown against political dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners in the tiny Gulf kingdom.

The court passed the ruling against Hani Allawi on Tuesday after founding him guilty of “participation in an illegal gathering,” Arabic-language and independent Manama Post online newspaper reported.

Human rights activist Ibtesam al-Sayegh reacted to the sentence on her Twitter page, stressing the need for the Manama regime to release student prisoners and stop the policies of depriving students of their right to education.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.