Bahrain, A prominent Bahraini human rights activist who was arrested this month was released on bail Monday, according to his Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
Nabeel Rajab was released on 600 Bahraini dinars bail (nearly $1,600), according to Maryam al-Khawaja, acting president of the human rights organization. His case is ongoing, she said, and he probably will face a travel ban.
Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights, was arrested May 5 upon his return to the Persian Gulf kingdom from Lebanon, according to the government and an activist group.
Rajab will resume his duties as president of the human rights organization immediately, al-Khawaja said.
At the time of Rajab’s arrest, the Interior Ministry said in a posting on its website that Rajab was “detained under suspicion of committing several punishable crimes,” while the Information Affairs Authority said he is facing charges of “inciting illegal activities and defamation.”
The Bahrain Center’s website said he was charged with “participating in illegal assembly and calling others to join” and could face further charges of “insulting the statutory bodies” for an incident that occurred on April 26. Rajab chose not to participate in his own trial, the group said.
Also released Sunday was activist Hassan Oun, who is on probation, al-Khawaja said.
Demonstrations in Bahrain failed to gain the traction of other Arab Spring uprisings after a crackdown by authorities in the island state, backed by troops from nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Last November, Bahrain’s Independent Commission of Inquiry issued a report critical of authorities’ reactions to the protests, which began in February 2011, spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Bahrain plays a key strategic role in the Middle East and is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters.