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| Arabia |
| 3 former editors of Bahrain paper reject allegations in court |
| 2011-06-20 |
| MANAMA: Lawyers for three former top editors of BahrainÂ’s main opposition newspaper on Sunday challenged allegations of unethical coverage by their clients during mass anti-government protests in the country. The trial of the editors of Al Wasat newspaper, who were forced to resign from BahrainÂ’s most widely read newspaper after the government imposed emergency rule in March to quell dissent, is part of a sweeping crackdown on the island nationÂ’s opposition. The charges against the three former editors, who pleaded not guilty last month, include publishing false news and endangering public order. If convicted on all charges, they face at least two years in jail and hefty financial fines. Two employees of Al Wasat newspaper told BahrainÂ’s highest criminal court on Sunday that the editors overlooked fabricated information because of the difficult conditions facing the kingdomÂ’s only opposition paper during anti-government demonstrations. The two employees said the newspaperÂ’s offices had been vandalized and its staff had been threatened, forcing reporters and editors to work from home. Al WasatÂ’s founder and former chief editor, Mansoor Al-Jamri, told the court during last weekÂ’s hearing that the paper published the fabricated items after it fell victim to a plot aimed at undermining Al WasatÂ’s role as the main voice for pro-reform advocates. Another hearing in the case is set for July 3. |
| Posted by:Steve White |