Bahrain Mirror: The acting president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nidal Al-Salman commented on the release of a number of convicts as part of the alternative penalty law by saying that "the initiatives issued by the King of Bahrain to release convicts in cases of opinion, whether by royal pardon or through the implementation of the alternative penalty law, are appreciated."

Al-Salman called for "expanding these initiatives to serve as a door for comprehensive national reconciliation."

She said in her statement on Tuesday (December 17, 2019) that "the Royal Decree 101/2019 through which the remainder of prison sentences and fines imposed on 269 convicts in each of their cases were remitted, as well as what was announced by the Public Prosecutor regarding expanding the enforcement of the law on alternative penalties and considering the inmates' personal and family conditions, taking into account humanitarian considerations, which included 530 inmates who served half of their jail terms, are considered steps in the right path."

Al-Salman called for clearing prisons of politically motivated cases because it is an international trend towards reconciliation, in order to reach a society of security, stability, equal justice and respect for human rights.

Arabic Version