A Bahraini court has sentenced a woman to one month in prison and ordered the confiscation of her mobile phone after finding her guilty of publicly insulting a recognized religion and showing contempt for its religious rituals through a post on Instagram.
According to the head of the Cybercrime Prosecution, the case began after the Cybercrime Department detected a comment on the social media platform during routine online monitoring. Authorities said the post contained sectarian language that could incite division and unrest.
Investigators identified the account holder and referred the case to the Public Prosecution, which launched an immediate investigation. During questioning, the defendant admitted that the Instagram account belonged to her and acknowledged writing the comment that formed the basis of the case.
The Public Prosecution subsequently referred the woman to the Minor Criminal Court in custody. The court convicted her and imposed a one-month prison sentence, in addition to ordering the confiscation of the mobile phone used in the offence.
In a statement, the Public Prosecution stressed that freedom of opinion and expression is protected under Bahraini law but must be exercised within legal limits. It said those limits prohibit speech that infringes on the rights of others, targets religious groups or sects, or threatens public order.
Authorities also warned that violations involving sectarian incitement or religious insults may result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment under the country’s laws.
