Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's Third High Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Ibrahim Al-Zayed with the membership of judges Wajih Al Shaer and Ibrahim Al-Jafen and Yusuf Bou Hardan as secretariat, sentenced 2 suspects to 3 years in prison over charges of beating a policeman, rallying, and causing damage to the clothing of a policeman and a sergeant.

The Public Prosecution accused the 2 suspects of assaulting a policeman while on duty with unknown others on late April 13, 2015; participating with unknown others in a gathering of more than 5 persons in a public space, and intentionally damaging the clothing of a policeman and a sergeant.

The authorities said that the first suspect (16 years old) confessed to rallying in the Bahraini capital Manama and witnessed a demonstration made up of about 20 masked persons shouting political chants, and joined the rally. The authorities also said that the they took flammable bottles and hurled them at the police station. The second suspect (15 years old); however, denied the charges raised against him.

Human rights organizations challenge the charges raised against the suspects 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 Issue