Bahraini mother jailed for three years for tearing up a photograph

Human rights groups have condemned the punishment handed to a Bahrani mother of two for tearing up a photograph of the nation’s king.

Zainab al-Khawaja, 31, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $9500 after being found guilty of insulting leader Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa.

"Amnesty International is calling for this and all of Zainab al-Khawaja's other convictions to be quashed and all outstanding charges to be dropped," said Said Boumedouha, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"If she is imprisoned on the basis of this conviction, Amnesty International will consider her a prisoner of conscience and campaign for the authorities in Bahrain to release her, along with her father Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and all the other prisoners of conscience languishing behind bars.”

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, is also a prominent activist who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the pro-democracy protests of 2011.

His other daughter, Maryam, 27, who lives in exile in Denmark, was recently sentenced to one year in prison for assaulting police officers.

Tiny but strategic Bahrain, home base of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, remains deeply divided three years after authorities crushed a month-old pro-democracy movement.