Bahrain prosecutes woman for hate speech on Twitter
Suspect, 52, posted tweet insulting a religious sect
Abu Dhabi: Bahraini police have taken legal steps against a woman who insulted a religious sect on Twitter.
“A 52-year-old woman was summoned after she posted a tweet on Twitter that insulted one of the country’s religious sects and incited hatred,” police said.
The woman will be moved to the Public Prosecution pending trial for promoting hate speech, the police said.
In August last year, a woman was prosecuted for destroying Hindu religious statues inside a shop. The woman appeared in a viral video destroying Ganesha idols inside a souvenir store in Manama’s area of Juffair, saying Bahrain is a Muslim country.
The Capital Police took legal steps against the woman, 54, for damaging a shop in Juffair and defaming a sect and its rituals, referred her to the Public Prosecution.
A senior Bahraini official condemned the act, calling it a “hate crime”.
Foreigners account for over half of Bahrain’s population of 1.7 million.