Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's High Criminal Court held the third trial hearing of the Shiite spiritual leader in Bahrain, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, over charges related to the Khums (alms)  religious obligation.

The session was held today on Thursday (September 15, 2016) in the absence of Sheikh Qassim and Mirza Dirazi (a member at Sheikh Isa Qassim's religious office), while Sheikh Hussein al-Mahrous, a detained cleric, was brought to trial against his will.

The court decided to adjourn the case until September 26, for the defense to address the court.

For his part, the Attorney General Harun Al-Zayani said that the fourth department of the High Criminal Court continued on Thursday (September 15, 2016) to look into the case in which three religious clerics are accused of raising money without a license. He also claimed that these religious scholars are accused of money laundering, and attempted to hide the sources of the money in order to legitimize it.

Al-Zayani further noted that the trial was held in a public hearing pursuant to the laws, while one of the defendants was present and others were absent despite being informed of the session. The court; therefore, decided to adjourn the trial until September 26, 2016, for the defense attorney of the present defendant to enter his plea

Tags: Sheikh Isa Qassim, Sectarian Discrimination, Bahrain Clerics, Shiite Persecution in Bahrain, Revocation of Sheikh Isa Qassim's Citizenship, Sectarian Targeting, Anti-Shiism, Anti-Shia

Arabic Version