Bahrain Mirror: The Sixth High Appeals Court upheld verdicts issued against 12 suspects accused of setting fire to tires and assembling in Al-Markh. The first instance court had sentenced 5 suspects to 3 years in prison and 7 others, who are under 18 year, to 2 years, over the same charge.

The authorities claim that the suspects gathered in Al-Markh village on the incident day and had Molotov, tires as well as petrol bottle. The suspects set fire to tires after pouring petroleum on them, threw the Molotov and fled away.

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