The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bahrain has sentenced a citizen to three years in jail for burning an Israeli flag and participating in an unauthorized pro-Palestine protest with 10 other people, charging him of "organizing an illegal gathering and rioting," Bahraini press reported.
تأييد السجن 3 سنوات لمتجمهر أحرق وآخرين العلم الإسرائيلي https://t.co/uZtvDvaFuc#البحرين #محاكم #قضايا
— صحيفة البلاد-البحرين (@albiladpress) February 14, 2020
Translation: "The supreme court supported an earlier sentence of 3 years in jail for a protester and others who burned the Israeli flag."
The unprecedented verdict raised questions among online commentators who pointed out that it coincides with talks anticipating soon-to-be normalized relations between Israel and several Gulf countries including Bahrain.
هل اصبح حرق العلم الصهيونى جريمة ....؟!!!!
— khaledbahrain (@khaledbahrain) February 14, 2020
Translation: "Has burning the Israeli flag become a crime?"
ي عام 2012م حرق النائب السابق أسامة التميمي علم إسرائيل في البرلمان البحريني و لم يحاكم ، السؤال هل تغير القانون و لم يخطر به المواطن من قبل الحكومة أم أن الحكومة مزاجية تغض النظر عن البعض و تجرم عن بعض؟ !! https://t.co/XYv8C5cqTp
— Ghassan Khamis (@khamis_ghassan) February 18, 2020
Translation: "Former MP Ossama Tamimi burned the Israeli flag while in the Parliament back in 2012 and didn't face any charges. Has the government changed the law without notifying citizens? or is the government being picky with who it's punishing?"
According to people on social media, the sentence issued by the Bahraini court seemed to emulate the usual sentence given in Israeli courts for flag burning.
هذه المرة الأولى التي تعاقب فيها #البحرين مواطنين على حرق علم إسرائيل. اللافت هو أنها ذات العقوبة المقررة في قانون العقوبات الاسرائيلي (السجن 3 سنوات). #غربال https://t.co/dLNq8nUVUO
— Adel Marzooq (@adelmarzooq) February 15, 2020
Translation: "For the first time ever, Bahrain is punishing its citizens for burning the Israeli flag with 3 years in jail, which notably is the same sentence carried out according to the Israeli penal law."
Some tweets noted that the court decision might be a political one, questioning whether burning flags of other countries, would have led to similar sentences.
حرق العلم القطري طيب؟ أكيد ما في أي عقوبة
— Fares Baghallab (@mu_faris) February 15, 2020
Translation: "What about burning the Qatari flag? I bet there's no sentence for that."
واللي يحرق علم أيران يستحق جائزة .
— AAALAUJAN (@AAALAUJAN) February 17, 2020
Translation: "If they were to burn the Iranian flag, they would've been rewarded"
Yet, social media users who came in defense of the Bahraini court's decision pointed out that the charges weren't only issued on the basis of burning the Israeli flag, but that the suspects had been accused of rioting and blocking roads.
اقرا الخبر بتشوف ان فيه إن
— Khalil Alqaheri ?? (@alqaheri) February 15, 2020
لان مذكور ان سكرو الشارع وكانو متلثمين فاتوقع الحكم على هل افعال مى حرق العلم الاسرائيلي
الخبر الاكيد عند محامي الدفاع
Translation: "If you read the story you'll see that the charges were related to them blocking the roads while masked, and not because of burning the Israeli flag. Their attorney must know all the details."
