Bahrain's king pardons prominent activist who spent 3 months in prison, cites health reasons
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this Friday, March 21, 2014 file photo, a Bahraini pro-democracy protester wears a mask with an image of jailed Bahraini human rights activist Nabil Rajab as others wave national flags during a march in Abu Saiba, west of the capital, Manama, Bahrain. The country's official news agency reported Monday, July 13, 2015, that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has pardoned Rajab, an outspoken human rights activist on health grounds after three months in prison. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File) (The Associated Press)
Bahrain's king has pardoned an outspoken Bahraini human rights activist after three months in prison, citing health reasons.
Nabeel Rajab, who is president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, had been under arrest since April 2 on charges related to comments he made online criticizing the treatment of political prisoners at a prison in the Arab Gulf country.
He also faced a six-month sentence for insulting defense and interior ministries on Twitter when he alleged that Bahrain's security institutions were incubators for extremist ideology after several former of the country's security officials apparently joined the extremist Islamic State group.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The official Bahrain News Agency reported that Rajab's was released Monday.
He is a member of Bahrain's Shiite majority, which has been demanding greater rights from the Sunni-led monarchy.