Bahrain Mirror: The Deputy president of the Higher Authority of Media and Communications Isa bin Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi issued a decision binding all audiovisual, audio, print and electronic media outlets and institutions in the kingdom to refrain from hiring or supporting any person or media outlet that has "views that insult the kingdom or any Gulf state and other Arab and sister states as well."

The decision included a number of penalties that in cases of violation would be issued, such as revoking the license of the media outlet in compliance with the applied laws and provisions.

The Decree 1/2015 on the standards of media content supervision and censorship stipulates that all media outlets and institutions respect the rule in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its figures, institutions and regulatory bodies; refrain from spreading and publishing information or news that would lead to disrupting the country's relations with other states, especially GCC and sister Arab states; refrain from being a platform in any fashion whatsoever for attacking and insulting the kingdom or other sister countries and also refrain from personally insulting the leader and officials of GCC, Arab and sister countries. The decree also stated that media outlets must not hire or support, directly or indirectly, inside or outside the country, any media establishment or individual that has views that insult the kingdom or any GCC state as well as Arab sister countries and friendly states.

The decree further states that the Ministry of Information has the right to take penalizing measures against any party that violates these regulations.

Arabic Issue