Satirical blogger held for past three weeks

Reporters Without Borders condemns the detention of the person the authorities say is the well-known satirical blogger Takrooz (@Takrooz). He has been held on charges of “inciting hatred against the regime” and “using expressions that incite sectarianism” ever since his arrest at Manama airport on his return from Thailand on 18 June. The person, who has not been named by the authorities, was arrested in connection with an unnamed Twitter account. He has reportedly denied being its owner or user but has recognized being the owner of the email address to which it was registered. The @Takrooz Twitter account has meanwhile been inaccessible since his arrest. Reporters Without Borders calls for his immediate release. With around 18,000 Twitter followers and 100,000 accumulated Tweets, Takrooz has been emblematic figure in the protest movement against the Bahraini monarchy since February 2011. According to Bahrain Watch, Takrooz has long been a leading target of Bahrain’s Cyber Crime Unit. Bahrain is on the Reporters Without Borders list of “Enemies of the Internet.”