Public Prosecutor Ali Fadhl Al-Bouainain announced that a group of 530 inmates who served half of their jail terms have been released from rehabilitation and reform centers after replacing their remaining sentences with non-custodial penalties.

Public Prosecutor Ali Fadhl Al-Bouainain announced on Monday (December 9, 2019) that a group of 80 inmates have been released from rehabilitation centers after replacing their remaining jail terms with non-custodial penalties.

Human rights activist Ibtisam Al-Saegh said that the released detainee Sayed Mojtaba Al-Abbar is the first case among political detainees to receive alternative punishment.

Execution Prosecution head Mohammed Al-Musallam said that the prosecution agreed to replace the prison sentences of 75 prisoners and apply alternative sentences against them.

The paradox lies in the fact that within less than 24 hours the Bahraini judiciary issued a 3-year prison term against the drunk Asian bus driver who claimed the life of a Bahraini citizen in an accident, while rejecting a request submitted by the internationally-known human rights defender Nabeel Rajab to change the rest of his prison term in accordance with the Alternative Penalty Law.

The Appeals Court is expected to consider tomorrow (Tuesday, September 17, 2019) a request submitted by Nabeel Rajab's lawyer to replace his imprisonment sentence.

Public Prosecutor Ali Al-Buainain said that 756 convicts have so far benefited from the law on alternative punishments. Human rights organizations are calling to expand the beneficiaries to include political prisoners.

Family of prisoner of conscience and leader in Amal Society, Khalil Al-Halwachi, said that the authorities have officially rejected to alternate his prison term verdict with another one within the alternative punishment law.

The Public Prosecution said that the number of convicts who made use of the alternative punishment since its implementation on May has reached 586, noting that they didn't include political prisoners.

Justice Ministry Undersecretary Wael Rashid Boualley said that number of government bodies which are taking part in providing community services, rehabilitation and training program increased, thus the overall number of work types reached 107 to accommodate more than 775 individuals within the alternative penalties program.

The Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced that it released arms and drugs dealer Abdulrahman Khalifa Al-Dhahrani on Thursday (May 23, 2019). It, however, denied that the king released him, stressing that his release came through the judiciary, which is claimed to be an independent authority.

From among the 5,000 political prisoners in Bahrain, the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has released none. Of the 5,000 political prisoners, only one has been sentenced to alternative punishment.

On July 17, 2017, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa ratified the Alternative Penalty Law, which authorizes the public prosecution or the judge to replace the sentence of preventive detention with a commuted penalty, including house arrest.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa directed the Government to reinforce its capabilities, for the effective implementation of the provisions of the penal code on alternative sentencing, Bahrain News Agency reported on Thursday (April 18, 2019).

A Bahraini court has rejected a motion filed by lawyers of prominent activist Nabeel Rajab asking it to pass an alternative to the jail term he is currently serving, his lawyer said on Monday.

MP Ghazi Al Rahma said that the Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa told them in a meeting held on Sunday (April 28, 2019) that a total of 451 individuals – 388 men, 52 women and 11 minors – are to benefit from alternative punishments law.