Bahrain activist Nabeel Rajab freed as trial adjourned

DUBAI — A Bahraini court Sunday freed prominent Shiite activist Nabeel Rajab but barred him from travel until his trial resumes over remarks on Twitter deemed insulting to public institutions, a judicial source said.

The criminal court in Manama ordered Rajab's release from custody and adjourned the trial until January 20, the source told AFP.

A picture on his Twitter account later showed Rajab in a car, smiling and flashing a "V" for victory sign, as his family said he arrived home.

Rajab, a member of Bahrain's Shiite majority which has held protests against the Gulf kingdom's Sunni rulers since 2011, was arrested on October 1 after posting comments on Twitter about the interior and defence ministries.

In one of the tweets which were deemed offensive, Rajab charged that many of the Bahrainis fighting with jihadists in Syria were former security forces personnel who had developed Sunni extremist views while in service.

Rajab's lawyer, Jalila Al Sayyed, used Sunday's hearing to call for her client to be freed, according to the judicial source.

The trial has been condemned by advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch, which also called for the charges against Rajab to be dropped.

Rajab is the director of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and was freed in May after serving two years in jail for taking part in unauthorised protests.

He had led anti-government marches following a bloody crackdown on Shiite-led demonstrations against Al Khalifa ruling family in March 2011.