Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): After the Ministry of Interior statement in which it said that it referred the Egyptian advisor Yasser Al-Attar to the Public Prosecution over a quarrel, it seems that expectations to hold him accountable were very low.

The Ministry stated that "Capital Police took the necessary steps regarding a case of a heated argument that turned to a physical fight, and an Arab national was referred to the Public Prosecution."

"The Public Prosecution is postponing the investigation into our complaint (contempt of the Shiite faith) and is only investigating the assault complaints," said lawyer Fatima Al-Hawaj.

Al-Hawaj and other Bahraini MPs filed a report to the Public Prosecutor after the advisor insulted a component of the Bahraini population (the Shia sect) in a threat to the civil security and peace, demanding him to play his role in raising a criminal case against the advisor.

It doesn't seem that a criminal case would be brought against the Egyptian advisor in this regard, however, they are tending to make the case as a mere fist fight.

Lawyer Abdullah Hachem commented on the Interior ministry's statement saying "referring the advisor of the head of chamber over a quarrel charge, as one of the newspapers reported, is conditioning [the case] to something that doesn't reflect reality, canceling out several crimes."

"He accused the chamber's members of having security files [charges against them], hinting that they are criminals," Hachem explained, noting that the advisor insulted a component of the Bahraini people with offensive language and used violence against some of the members.

Lawyer Abdullah Al-Shamlawi sarcastically said "if the sectarian indecency and political blackmail perpetrated by the legal advisor in the BCCI are condoned and he was only referred to the prosecution over a quarrel, he should be tried first for indecent exposure."

The Public Prosecution had previously overruled similar cases in which the defendants directed offensive remarks or derogatory terms at the Shiite community, or did not even investigate such cases at all.

The Arabic Language Department Assistant Professor at the University of Bahrain, Syrian national Dr. Monzer Ayachi, had made insulting and derogatory remarks in the past against the twelfth Imam of Muslim Shiites yet the Public Prosecution did nothing.

For his part, Kuwaiti human rights activist Anwar Al-Rashid told the people in Bahrain "mark my words, the dirty advisor who attacked you will be acquitted."

Arabic Version