Ruled with an iron hand by the Khalifa royal family, Bahrain is notorious for jailing many journalists, especially photographers and cameramen. Fear that the regime could be overthrown led to an increase in the persecution and censorship of dissidents from 2011 onwards, especially after the uprisings by the Shia opposition in the east of the country. Convicted on such charges as participating in demonstrations, property destruction and supporting terrorism, journalists and citizen-journalists are given long jail terms and sometimes even life sentences. Many have been mistreated in detention and some have even been stripped of their citizenship. Since 2016, Bahraini journalists working for international media have had problems renewing their accreditation. Several journalists who have criticised the government online since fleeing abroad have been charged with “cyber-crimes” in Bahrain. For foreign journalists, getting a press visa to visit Bahrain is very complicated.