Bahrain drops charges against protesters

Prosecutors in Bahrain dropped charges against 334 individuals charged in connection with an outburst of protests in recent months. Public prosecutor Ali al Buainain said the 334 defendants were involved in 43 separate cases that were reviewed by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, an international investigative group that looked into the spring turmoil in the Persian Gulf nation. Gulf News said the defendants had originally been detained for offenses related to speaking their minds about the government. Al Buainain said cases involving acts of violence or property damage would not be dropped, and investigators would continue probing allegations of mistreatment of detainees.