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Bahrain opposition figure gets 6 months for Sudan tweet

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A prominent opposition politician in Bahrain faces up to six months in prison for a tweet about Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Bahraini prosecutors have long targeted Ebrahim Sharif over his outspokenness in an island kingdom in the grips of a yearslong crackdown on dissent.

Both Amnesty International and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy reported the court ruling Wednesday.

Sharif must pay bail of over $1,300 to remain free pending a possible appeal.

His tweet in December 2018 called for al-Bashir to leave office. The Sudanese president has faced months of protest over his rule.

Authorities in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and a British naval base, did not respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press

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