Bahraini regime arrested on Saturday the prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab on his return from Beirut.

Bahraini regime arrested on Saturday the prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab on his return from Beirut.

Rajab, who heads the non-governmental Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), was arrested at the airport late on Saturday over charges of "participating in illegal assembly and calling others to join", the center said in a statement.

"Nabeel Rajab arrested by order of public prosecution. All legal procedures are being taken", the interior ministry said on its Twitter account.

His trial is expected to begin on Sunday.
During his trip to Lebanon met the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, according to activist Mohammed al-Maskati, who travelled with him.

The BCHR said Rajab could face further charges, as he was summoned for interrogation on April 26 and accused of "insulting the statutory bodies."
It quoted Rajab as saying earlier that he refused to attend his trial, saying Bahrain's judiciary system was not fair.

"Given that Bahrain in essence lacks a judiciary system that is independent and/or fair, and is far from being in line with international standards of a fair trial, I have decided to boycott the trial against myself", he said.
"The judiciary system in Bahrain, today, is a tool used against human rights defenders and people calling for democracy and justice", he added.

“IRRATIONAL ARREST”

For its part, prominent opposition party, al-Wefaq, called for the immediate release of Rajab.

“The arrest as irrational and illegal since it is a punishment against an act based on the freedom of opinion an expression”, al-Wefaq posted on its website.

 “Keeping on Rajab in the jail is an addition to the black record adopted by the authorities against activists and politicians who are demanding democracy in Bahrain”.