Bahrain detains 4 for alleged anti-king tweets

Four people have been detained for defaming the island's king with Twitter posts.

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MANAMA, Bahrain // Bahrain has detained four people for defaming the island's king with Twitter posts in a case that is likely to test the limits of expression in the Gulf nation.

Similar prosecutions across the region have brought strong criticism from media freedom groups.

Bahraini authorities did not give further details on the suspects or the contents of their Twitter posts.

The official Bahrain News Agency said late yesterday the four would be held for seven days pending trial.

Twitter and other social media have become key tools of Bahrain's opposition groups.