Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini Fourth High Criminal Court, presided over by judge Rashid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa with the memberships of judges Osama Al-Shadhili and Wael Ibrahim, issued sentences against 30 defendants over a bomb blast and assembly that took place in Diraz in 2014. One defendant was acquitted, 8 others were sentenced to life-imprisonment and one suspect was stripped of his citizenship, while a 5-year prison term was handed down to 20 others with 3000 BD fine. Another defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison and had his nationality revoked.

The prosecution accused the first to the sixth suspects of detonating a bomb in 2014, endangering people's lives and properties, acquiring explosives without a license from the Ministry of Interior for a terrorist aim

The prosecution accused the eighth, twentieth and twenty ninth suspects of acquiring explosives without a license from the ministry for a terrorist purpose as well as using explosives, endangering people's lives and properties.

It further accused the first suspect of training on the use of explosives for a terrorist purpose and accused the 30th  suspect of training on the use of explosives and arms for terrorist aims. In addition, it accused suspect 21 of promoting for criminal acts for a terrorist purpose. The prosecution accused the suspects from 1 to 27 of taking part in an assembly of more than 5 people, aiming at disturbing public peace and using violence to achieve their aim.

The authorities allege that it was confirmed that the suspects took part in the event through investigations. They also reached through their investigations that one of the suspects was free of charge, and thus, he was acquitted by the court.

Human rights organizations challenge the charges raised against the defendants, 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