Detained Bahrainis deny defaming king on Twitter

Four Bahrainis arrested last week on charges of ‘defaming’ the king on Twitter denied the accusations in court on Monday, saying they were innocent, their lawyers said. The defendants, who appeared before a criminal court judge for posting on Twitter insulting comments about King Hamad bin Isa Al-Thani, ‘denied the accusations against them,’ said one of their lawyers on condition of anonymity. The lawyer said the defence team requested that the defendants be released pending further investigation, but so far it has not received any response. The next hearing is scheduled for 31 October. On 17 October, the government announced the arrest of the four defendants, promising a swift and ‘urgent trial before a criminal court.’