Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's High Appeals Court presided over by judge Mohammad bin Ali Al Khalifa and secretariat of Naji Abdullah upheld a 10-year jail term against a suspect over acquiring weapon and using it against policemen in Sitra.

The first instance court had sentenced the appellant and another one found in Iran to 10 years in prison over acquiring weapon and opening fire against policemen.

The Pubic Prosecution accused the first suspect (19 years) and second one (39 years) of acquiring an unlicensed weapon (pistol) aiming at using it in an act that disrupts public peace ad system and for a terrorist aim as well as acquiring ammunitions for the said weapon.

The prosecution accused the first suspect of taking part in an assembly of more than 5 persons aiming at disrupting public peace noting that they used violence to achieve the aim they gathered for and acquiring Molotov. The first suspect had taken part in an assembly in Sitra with more than 5 persons and prepared number of Molotov to attack policemen. The first suspect opened fire against the policemen in an attempt to kill them and to endanger people's lives.

The suspect admitted the crime he committed, saying that he used to take part in riots. He also confessed that he got to know the second suspect living in Iran through BlackBerry phone and asked him to buy a weapon worth of 480 BD. On the incident day, the first suspect headed to the assembly place with his gun. The protestors hurled Molotov against the policemen, while he shot fire against them. He tried to run away, but was caught along with his weapon.

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