Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini high criminal court did not take the objection of the first suspect accused of setting fire to two vehicles, owned by former Bahraini Member of Parliament Ali Al-Dirazi.

A court had sentenced 3 defendants to 10 years in prison for setting two cars owned by former MP Ali Al-Dirazi ablaze, in order to make him end his candidacy in the 2014 elections, damaging parts of his home.

The court ordered the three suspects to pay 51,980 BD for the damages, convicting the suspects of deliberately setting fire to two cars, on October 23, 2014, owned by the victim, endangering people's lives and properties for a terrorist purpose.

The court also convicted them of entering the victim's house at night and without the consent of the owner, aiming at committing a crime.

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