The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Bahrain’s Shura Council to reject the government’s proposed amendments to the Law on Press, Printing, and Publishing (Decree-Law No. 47 of 2002) in a joint statement led by CPJ, Access Now, and seven other press freedom and human rights groups.
The statement warned that the Bahraini government’s claim of abolishing prison sentences for journalists is misleading when other repressive laws—such as the Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Law—still allow for their prosecution. This dual legal system enables authorities to arbitrarily impose fines or prison terms based on an individual’s political profile, seriously undermining press freedom, said the statement’s signatories.
The statement also raised concerns about the government’s proposed licensing requirements for online and “media-related” activities, warning that broad definitions under Article 3 could have a chilling effect on online expression, including by bloggers and content creators. While Article 67 claims there will be no prior censorship, the licensing system could be used to restrict media through delays or denials—effectively enabling censorship and violating international standards on freedom of expression.
Read the full statement here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.