: Rights group Amnesty International said a court in the United Arab Emirates had sentenced a dissident professor to 10 years in prison for online activism on Wednesday, calling the move a violation of free speech.

Amnesty International expressed its growing concerns over the health of prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, who has been held in solitary confinement since 9 months, and its concerns about the effect it is having on his health and well-being.

The United Nations deputy spokesman Farhan Haq reiterated "U.N. concerns about restrictions on fundamental freedoms, including restrictions on fundamental freedoms including rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression in Bahrain."

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued an update to its report on the Bahrain situation, which included the period between July and December 2016.

Freedom House classified Bahrain as the sixth worst country in the world in terms of freedom decline over 10 years. Bahrain came after Central African Republic, Turkey, The Gambia, Mali and Burundi. According to this scale, Manama was classified in a rank worst than Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.

Circulating news indicated that the Emirati authorities arrested last Monday (January 16, 2017) Professor of Political Sciences in United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Abdulkhaleq Abdullah.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its 2017 World Report that “Bahrain stepped up its repression of activists and government critics during 2016”.

The Bahrain Press Association confirmed in its annual report that 2016 saw the most number of violations on the level of freedom of expression, since the outbreak of the revolution on February 14, 2011.

Bahraini authorities have questioned detained activist Nabeel Rajab about an article under his name in France's Le Monde daily containing what they called misinformation and "false rumors" about Gulf Arab states.

Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye called on Wednesday (December 21, 2016) for Nabeel Rajab’s immediate release.

The Middle East Monitor website said that “Amnesty International has slammed the UK government for its whitewashing of human rights abuses in Bahrain.”

A number of human rights organizations demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Bahraini activist Ghada Jamsheer.

The United States urged the government of Bahrain to drop the charges against the prominent opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif, stressing that they are following the case closely and they have raised the case of Ibrahim Sharif and other human rights separately directly with the Bahrainis.

The United States urged the government of Bahrain to drop the charges against the prominent opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif, stressing that they are following the case closely.

Amnesty International called on the Bahraini authorities to release the opposition leader and Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Sheikh Ali Salman, urging them to quash his conviction.

Amnesty International called on the Bahraini authorities to release the opposition leader and Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Sheikh Ali Salman, urging them to quash his conviction.

Repeatedly have the Bahraini authorities arrested political activists and human rights defenders for sending certain tweets via their personal accounts.

Human Rights Watch condemned crack down on the dissidents in the Gulf States, particularly through surveilling their activism on the Internet and called on the government of these states to resort to making reforms instead of imprisoning the peaceful dissidents.

BCHR is concerned about undermining of freedom of expression in Bahrain. BCHR called on the authorities to allow journalists to conduct their profession, respect their right to freedom of expression, cease arbitrarily withholding license renewals and drop the charges against journalists who exercise their work.

US Representative to Human Rights Council expressed his country’s concerns over Bahraini government’s recent measures.