Ebrahim
Sharif

Background and Political Work

Ebrahim Sharif is a former secretary general of the National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad), a licensed opposition group until a court dissolved it on 31 May 2017. For more than a decade he has advocated for democratic reform through public speeches, social media commentary, and participation in peaceful political gatherings. His activism forms part of the pro-democracy movement that emerged during Bahrain's 2011 uprising. His work has remained consistently nonviolent.

The 2011 Arrest and Torture

In 2011 Sharif participated in peaceful protests calling for political reform. He was arrested and held incommunicado for months. During this period he was subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment, including sleep deprivation, beatings, and sexual abuse. He was denied access to family members prior to his first court appearance. A special military court sentenced him to five years in prison. He was released under a royal pardon on 19 June 2015.

The Pattern of Re-Arrest

Three weeks after his 2015 release, Sharif was arrested again for delivering a peaceful speech critical of government policies. Authorities accused him of inciting hatred and encouraging the overthrow of the government. He was released one year later and placed under a travel ban.

In November 2016 he was arrested after telling the Associated Press that a visit by Prince Charles risked whitewashing Bahrain's crackdown on dissent. Charges were dropped two weeks later, but he was rearrested in March 2017 on similar accusations related to social media posts. Between 2017 and November 2025 he was prosecuted or arrested at least three additional times, in 2019, 2023, and 2024, each time in connection with peaceful expression on social media.

The 2025 Airport Arrest and Latest Sentence

On 12 November 2025 Sharif was arrested at Bahrain International Airport upon his return from Beirut, where he had attended the Arab National Conference. The Ministry of Interior announced that he had been detained for spreading false news on social media and uttering phrases offensive to Arab states and their leadership. The following day the Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending investigation.

On 8 January 2026 the Lower Criminal Court sentenced him to six months in prison and imposed a fine of 200 Bahraini dinars. The conviction relates to an interview he gave to LuaLua TV in Beirut, in which he criticized Arab governments for failing to support Palestinians and for normalizing relations with Israel. According to a Public Prosecution statement on Instagram, Sharif allegedly made false and offensive statements about Arab states, accusing them of collusion and calling on their populations to resist their governments.

On 17 February 2026 the appeal court upheld the conviction but replaced the prison term with weekly reporting to the Alternative Penalties Centre, and he was released.

This is at least the tenth time since 2011 that Bahraini authorities have arrested, interrogated, or prosecuted Sharif for peaceful political expression.

Due-Process Violations

The recurring use of broadly worded national security laws, including charges of inciting hatred, spreading false news, and offending foreign states, demonstrates the absence of effective safeguards for freedom of expression in Bahrain. Sharif's 2011 trial before a military court violated international fair-trial standards. The repeated prosecutions for speech-related offenses constitute a pattern of judicial harassment aimed at deterring him from engaging in political activity.