MANAMA — A Bahrain judge on Thursday overturned a conviction against a prominent human rights campaigner for posting alleged anti-government comments on social media, but the activist remained jailed while appealing another prison sentence. The decision shifts the focus among Nabeel Rajab's supporters to next month's challenge of a three-year sentence for his role in allegedly encouraging protesters to clash with security forces in the strategic Gulf kingdom. Rajab's attorney, Mohammed Al-Jishi, said the judge threw out the conviction for the Twitter posts after a brief hearing. Rajab has already served more than half of his three-month sentence. A statement from Bahrain's government attributed the judge's ruling to “uncertainty regarding the evidence submitted to support the lawsuit.” “It's hard to celebrate when the Bahrain authorities admit their mistake in jailing Nabeel Rajab for the tweet but keep him in prison until 2015 on other charges,” said Brian Dooley, director of the Human Rights Defenders Program of the US-based advocacy group Human Rights First. Rajab's wife Sumaiya vowed to press on with an international campaign for her husband's release before the Sept. 10 appeal hearing on the three-year sentence. Souhayr Belhassen, president of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights, called Rajab's acquittal a “relief” but noted that he still could face years in prison. A government statement Thursday said King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa approved reforms that include giving parliament greater powers over approving Cabinet posts and policies. — AP
