Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's High Appeals Court presided over by judge Mohammad bin Ali Khalifa and Naji Abdullah as secretariat upheld life sentences against 2 appellants and 10-year jail term against 4 others over blast and assembly cases.

The first-instance court sentenced 3 defendants to life term sentences and 6 others to 10 years over attempting to murder policemen, carrying out a blast, acquiring explosives, taking part in assembly and riots and acquiring Molotov.

The authorities claim that on March 22, 2014, the defendants along with about 80 others assembled and attacked policemen using Molotov, metal rods and rocks near Sitra post office in Wadiyan. While the security forces were dealing with them using legal ways, a bomb blasted and a police officer (lieutenant) sustained an injury in his right thigh and was transferred to the hospital as a result.  

The authorities reached the suspects through investigations and the third suspect admitted the charges brought against him and against the others.

Human rights organizations challenge the charges raised against political detainees, since they doubt the independence of the judiciary, whose members are assigned by royal decrees, and since it issues sentences based on confessions extracted under duress and evidence presented by secret investigations and anonymous witnesses.

Arabic Version