The Bahraini authorities arrested opposition leader and former Waad Society secretary general, Ebrahim Sharif, on 12 November 2025, on charges related to exercising his right of freedom of expression. Sharif remains detained to this day, underscoring the government’s ongoing repression of dissent and its use of silencing critics as a tool of control and intimidation. His arrest, targeting an activist known for openly expressing his views and challenging official policies, signals that any critical voice in Bahrain may be vulnerable to imprisonment as a warning to society at large.

Sharif was detained immediately upon his arrival at Bahrain International Airport from Beirut, following his participation in the Arab National Conference, where he made a televised statement urging Arab governments to support the Palestinian people, reject normalization, and stop the war on Gaza. He was taken directly from the arrival hall without a warrant or any official explanation.

In a statement issued on 12 November 2025, the Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced that Sharif is accused of “spreading false news on social media” and “making offensive remarks against sister Arab states and their leaders,” noting that the Public Prosecution Office (PPO) had ordered his pretrial detention pending investigation. The Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) similarly stated in an official announcement that Sharif’s arrest was based on these charges. The Director-General of the General Directorate for Combating Corruption, Economic and Electronic Security declared that “Ebrahim Sharif Sayed AbdulRahim was detained for disseminating false news on social media and issuing offensive statements against sister Arab countries and their leaders, in clear violation of the law.”

Sharif’s arrest sparked public outrage, with several human rights organizations condemning the renewed escalation against the freedoms guaranteed in Bahrain and calling for his immediate release. Among them was Human Rights Watch, which affirmed that Sharif should not be arrested, interrogated, or prosecuted solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. His arrest also coincided with an orchestrated smear campaign by pro-government online accounts, which escalated to accusing him of “supporting symbols of sedition and terrorism,” reflecting the extent of media mobilization deployed against dissenting voices.

Sharif remains in Dry Dock Detention Center solely for expressing his views. According to available information, he emphasized that “Palestine is worth it,” referring to his personal convictions. Regarding detention conditions, he stated that some newspapers were allowed into the ward, noting that the ward remains constantly closed and opens only one hour per day, either for walking in the designated yard or watching television, though most detainees prefer to spend that hour walking. He also reported that during the first three nights of his detention, he was not provided with a bed and was forced to sleep on a blanket laid on the floor, reflecting the harsh conditions faced by individuals imprisoned simply for exercising their right to free expression.

On 20 November 2025, the PPO referred Sharif, while still imprisoned, to the court, scheduling 26 November for the criminal case to be heard before the Lower Criminal Court on charges of deliberately broadcasting false news and publicly insulting foreign states.

Notably, this marks the tenth time since 2011 that Bahraini authorities have arrested, interrogated, or prosecuted Sharif solely for exercising his rights to peaceful assembly and expression. Ironically, his last post was a retweet criticizing the recent circular issued by the Ministry of Social Development, viewing it as yet another restriction on civil society organizations.

Sharif had previously been arrested on 25 March 2024 over social media posts in which he criticized the Bahraini sovereign wealth fund’s full acquisition of the McLaren automotive group, arguing that directing public funds toward such deals comes at the expense of urgent issues such as housing and basic services. He was detained for several days before being released on 28 March, though the case was never closed, leaving the threat of prosecution looming should the authorities choose to reactivate the charges. This case clearly illustrated that peaceful criticism of economic policies and major commercial deals has also become grounds for arrest in Bahrain.

Following the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza and the rise of popular Arab solidarity with Palestine, Sharif was arrested in December 2023 over a tweet in which he criticized Bahrain’s decision to join the U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea, rejected normalization with Israel, and expressed clear solidarity with the Palestinian people. At the time, the PPO ordered his detention for seven days pending investigation on charges of “spreading false news during wartime” and “incitement via social media.”

Ebrahim Sharif is a prominent opposition leader in Bahrain and a leading activist in the Waad Society. He has been repeatedly arrested for expressing his political views. Over the years, he has remained a direct target of repression and restrictions by the authorities aimed at silencing him and preventing his participation in public political life.

In 2011, during Bahrain’s pro-democracy movement, Sharif was arrested, tortured, and held in solitary confinement for 56 days without access to a lawyer or contact with his family. He was later sentenced by a military court to five years in prison on similar charges.

In July 2015, he was re-arrested just three weeks after his release, and the court sentenced him to one year in prison on charges of inciting hatred against the regime, though he was acquitted of inciting regime change. In November 2016, the PPO again charged him with “inciting hatred and contempt against the regime” after he gave an interview to the Associated Press during Prince Charles’ visit to Bahrain, in which he warned against using the visit to whitewash the country’s repressive record and called for genuine political reform. However, following human rights pressure and international criticism, the charge was dropped within two weeks, serving as another example of criminalizing peaceful expression, even when conveyed through legitimate media engagement with international outlets.

These fabricated charges resurfaced in 2017, when Sharif was accused via Twitter of “inciting hatred against the regime” and “inciting against segments of society” after he criticized the dissolution of opposition political societies. This occurred alongside the decision to dissolve the Waad Society and seize its assets, part of a broader effort to eliminate organized opposition, with Sharif seen as a central target due to his leadership role.

On 13 March 2019, Ebrahim Sharif was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 500 Bahraini dinars, with the sentence suspended, for a tweet criticizing then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and calling on him to step down amid mass protests in Sudan. Although the sentence was suspended, it further demonstrated the Bahraini authorities’ continued reliance on the charge of “insulting a foreign state or its leader,” in direct violation of core principles of freedom of expression.

Ebrahim Sharif’s long record of arrests and prosecutions illustrates the Bahraini government’s persistent repression of dissent and its criminalization of freedom of expression, even when activists act peacefully or voice solidarity with human rights causes. His repeated arrests reflect a systematic policy of silencing critics by targeting every dissenting voice and sending a broader warning to society, leaving freedom of opinion and assembly in Bahrain under constant threat.

Accordingly, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ebrahim Sharif, end the practice of repeated summonses used to intimidate activists and human rights defenders, and guarantee that all citizens can exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of arrest or harassment. ADHRB also reiterates its call on the international community to pressure Bahrain to uphold its international human rights obligations and to protect activists and defenders of fundamental freedoms.

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