Status: Not Free
Legal Environment: 24 (of 30)
Political Environment: 27 (of 40)
Economic Environment: 20 (of 30)
Total Score: 71 (of 100)
(Lower scores = freer)

Despite constitutional protections guaranteeing freedom of expression and of the press, the government continued to enforce the 2002 Press Law to restrict the rights of the media. Bahrain's Press Law contains 17 categories of offences and allows for up to five years imprisonment for publishing material criticizing Islam or the king, inciting actions that undermine state security, or advocating for change in the government. Journalists may be fined up to 2,000 dinars (US$5,300) for an additional 14 offenses. The press can also be prosecuted under the penal code. On May 28, the upper house of the parliament passed a revised draft press law that would decriminalize press offences, protect the confidentiality of sources, ensure access to official information, and end criminal responsibility for publishers. Nevertheless, the draft law still needs to be passed by the lower house, an elected body heavily influenced by conservative religious perspectives, which rejected a similar bill three years prior.

While no journalist has been imprisoned since 1999, many have been harassed, censored, detained, and prosecuted. A total of 47 complaints were filed against journalists and publishing houses in the courts in 2007; many were filed by private individuals. Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahlawi and Hussain Abdul Aziz Al Hebshi, who were arrested in November 2006 for possessing 1500 leaflets of literature deemed to be "subversive", were sentenced on January 31 to one year and six months in prison respectively, but were pardoned by the King on February 25th. The two had spent three months in detention. In February, the editor-in-chief of Akhbar Al-Khaleej and the Gulf Daily News wrote an editorial accusing 'Abd al-Hadi Khawaja, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, of conspiracy and treason based on his participation in a seminar sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute. Bahrain's prime minister commended the editorial, stating, "Forums, TV Satellites and external activities should be used to exhibit the achievements that have been acquired in the Kingdom of Bahrain ... not to undermine it." However, journalists that insult government officials or individuals are easily subject to libel or defamation charges. A supposed media "black out" was issued against longtime women's rights activist Ghada Jamsheer, who in April, sent a letter to the King criticizing the effectiveness of the Supreme Council for Women, which is chaired by the King's wife. Ms. Jamsheer informed human rights organization Article 19 in October that she had not been published or referenced in any print or broadcast media since April. On October 21, three journalists were convicted and fined for defaming the director of an elderly-care center in an article published in the electronic newspaper Al-Saheefa, one of Bahrain's numerous banned websites. Internet bloggers were also prosecuted. In February, the Municipalities and Agricultural Affairs Minister filed a criminal libel complaint against blogger Mahmood al-Yousif who had criticized the Minister's praise of the government's handling of the 2007 flood. Three journalists from newspapers Al-Ayam, Al Waqt and Al Wasat were physically assaulted and had their mobile phones confiscated by members of the Bahraini Security Forces on December 25 while trying to cover a peaceful protest outside the public prosecutor's office. The protest was being held by family members of those who had been arrested for participating in demonstrations over the unnecessarily violent dispersal of a December 17 protest. A continued ban on any media discussion of the 2006 "Bandargate" scandal was reaffirmed by the Higher Criminal Court on November 27. Numerous websites shut down in 2006 for mentioning the report remained blocked. The "Al Bandar report," written by Sudanese-born British citizen Salah Al Bandar, alleged election fraud and the involvement of members of the royal family and high-level politicians in fomenting anti-Shi'a sectarian strife. On April 19, 2007, Dr. Al Bandar, who was deported in 2006, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to four years in prison and a 100 dinar fine.

The Ministry of Information may censor and prevent the distribution of local and foreign publications, close newspapers through court proceedings, ban books and films, block websites, and prosecute individuals. Bahrain's conservative populations also act as independent censors, reporting to the authorities material considered to be indecent or against religious principles. Despite legal restrictions, the Bahraini press still offers a more diverse and critical perspective of news and politics than other Gulf countries. However, newspapers tend to avoid reporting on "sensitive" issues such as religious sectarian tensions, foreign relations with surrounding Gulf countries, governmental corruption, demonstrations, and human rights violations. There is also a dearth of critical coverage of local issues such as land distribution and demographic distribution, as well as problems confronting the large immigrant worker population. This is in part due to the lack of a private news agency, as well as the high degree of self-censorship practiced by journalists.

There are six privately-owned daily newspapers, four in Arabic and two in English, several of which are critical of the government. While there are no state-owned papers, the government has a monopoly on all broadcast media. The country's first private radio station – Sawt al-Ghad – launched in 2005, but the authorities shut it down in 2006, alleging irregularities. A few international radio stations are allowed to broadcast and foreign satellite television provides the public with their main source of news. Bahrain was the highest ranked Arab country on the Digital Opportunity Index (DOI), which measures progress in relation to infrastructure, opportunity, and usage of digital media. Of Bahrain's population, 22.2 percent used the Internet, reflecting a growth rate of 293.3 percent since 2000. In addition to the 2002 Telecommunications law that imposes civil and criminal penalties for violations, the term "electronic media" was inserted into the 2002 press law, allowing the government to regulate this sector under vague legislation. Website administrators may be prosecuted under the same libel laws as journalists and are responsible for all content posted on their sites. The government is a major shareholder in Batelco, the country's principal telecommunications company. Batelco monitors email and filters Internet content by routing Internet activity through proxy/cache servers. All websites are required to register with the Information Ministry. Bahrain has a very active online community with about 200 blogs, however religious and political content is heavily censored. At least 22 local and international websites were blocked during the year including the website of the Arabic Network for Human Right Information, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and the HAQ Movement of Liberties and Democratic Bahrain.

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