Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain Press Association (BPA) said that it documented 22 final verdicts against journalists, photographers and online activists convicted over cases related to opinion and freedom of expression last year.

Marking International Press Day, the association said in a statement that "it documented the arrests of at least 11 individuals for a limited period and 88 cases of investigations and summonings, in addition to 4 cases of hindering work practice and 2 cases of revocation of nationality."

BPA indicated that "among those, there are at least 25 cases that targeted Internet users, mostly Twitter users that turned into a platform used by the security authorities to hunt down those who have independent or opposing views."

The association said that deporting citizen Ibrahim Karimi to Iraq after he was convicted of managing "Fareej Karimi" account on Twitter was one of the harshest penalties against a person of opinion.

While the Association condemned the targeting of journalists, bloggers and photographers, it said that this "has become a common and systematic behavior, and one of the most important reasons that led to the deterioration of Bahrain's reputation on the international level with respect to freedom of media."

With the closure of "Al-Wasat" newspaper, the only independent newspaper in the country, and forced dismissal of 150 of its employees, Bahrain returns to the atmosphere that preceded the newspaper "where there were only governmental newspapers and media."

BPA demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned photographers, activists and journalists and halt of pursuits, arbitrary arrests and judicial trials."

It also called for "open media and press freedoms in the country and end of Internet censorship offices of the communication ministry (...) as well as put an end to the monopoly of the authorities on television, radio and written media."