Bahrain Mirror: The first High Criminal Court of Appeal in Bahrain rejected the appeal of a young man accused of hiding in his grandfather's home in Samaheej and his aunt's husband for helping him hide, upholding sentences of three years' imprisonment against both.

The authorities contend that information received indicates that the first defendant helped hide the second defendant, against whom arrest warrants were issued to serve a total of up to 16 years' imprisonment, and that he was hiding him in his apartment in the Samaheej area and provided him with aid and supplies, knowing that he is wanted and sentenced in court.

The first defendant denied the charges raised against him, indicating that he was not aware that the second appellant was in the house.

For his part, the second defendant said that he was aware that he was wanted by the security authorities to serve criminal sentences of up to 16 years imprisonment, so he agreed with his grandfather to hide himself in the family home, and he in fact stayed at that house for more than one year, noting that that only one who knew where he was his grandfather, despite the fact that his grandmother and his aunt lived in the same house.

He added that his mother visited him from time to time so that the security authorities would not become suspicious of his whereabouts, until his grandfather died, so he told his grandmother that he was hiding in one of the rooms of the house. Meanwhile, his aunt  married and her husband decided to stay with them at the house. He added that his aunt's husband did not know that he was hiding in the house until until the police arrested them.

Arabic Version