Activist Sentenced to 7 years, Four Acquittals Remaining Between 1-5 Years
BCHR REF: 08071301
Amidst tight security measures and a thorough search of activist and members of the media, Bahraini 4th Higher Criminal Court Judge, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalifa sentenced today a group of activists on charges ranging from the stealing and illegal possession of a gun & the burning of a police jeep to illegal gathering and sabotage of public property and use of force against security officials. The sentences varied and included a large fine for one of the activists. Worth noting that 4 of those charged with harsh sentences are known activist who had been targeted by the government for their roles in their respective committees. Of them is Maytham Badr Al-Sheikh, who had alleged that he had been sexually assaulted while being interrogated. Another activist who received a large sentence and fine is Hassan Abdulnabi, an active member of the Unemployment Committee, long threatened of dire consequences should he continue in his active role with his committee.
Activist Sentenced to 7 years, Four Acquittals Remaining Between 1-5 Years
BCHR REF: 08071301
Amidst tight security measures and a thorough search of activist and members of the media, Bahraini 4th Higher Criminal Court Judge, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalifa sentenced today a group of activists on charges ranging from the stealing and illegal possession of a gun & the burning of a police jeep to illegal gathering and sabotage of public property and use of force against security officials. The sentences varied and included a large fine for one of the activists. Worth noting that 4 of those charged with harsh sentences are known activist who had been targeted by the government for their roles in their respective committees. Of them is Maytham Badr Al-Sheikh, who had alleged that he had been sexually assaulted while being interrogated. Another activist who received a large sentence and fine is Hassan Abdulnabi, an active member of the Unemployment Committee, long threatened of dire consequences should he continue in his active role with his committee.
The court apparently paid no heed to international organizations calling for an investigation into allegations of forced confessions and torture, nor to the medical team who had examined the detainees and concluded that there may be signs of beating.
The sentences in accordance to information received from lawyers are as follows:
Hassan Abdulnabi Hassan, 23 years, member of the Unemployment Committee: 7 Years Sentence and over 9980BD ($26,600) in fine
5 Years Sentence:
Maytham Badr Jassim Al-Skeikh, 31 years, Jidhafs, Unemployment Committee
Isa Abdulla Isa Alsarh, 25 years, Bani Jamra, active member of the Amal Islamic Society
Naji Ali Fateel, 31 years, Bani Jamra, member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR)
Mohammed Abdullah Al Sengais, 40 years, head of the Committee to Combat High Prices
1 year Sentence:
Ali Ahmed Abdulaziz Almadhi, 24 years, Alhajjar
Hussain Abdulhassan Khatam, 23 years, Karzakan
Ahmed Jaffar Mohammed Ali, 28 years Jidhafs, former member of the Unemployment Committee
Hussain Shaker Mohammed Fardan Shakar, 35 years, Bani Jamra
Mahmood Hassan Saleh, Aldaih
Ahmed Abdulhadi Ahmed Mahdi Salman, 18 years, Almugsha
Acquittals:
Hussain Jaffar Trayf, 20 years, Sanabis
Abdulla Mohsen Abdulla Saleh, 30 years, Isa-Town, Member of the Unemployment Committee
Ebrahim Mohammed Alarab, Bani Jamra, Board member in the Amal Islamic Society
Mohammed Makki Ahmed, 19 years, Sanabis
The BCHR would like to draw attention to the fact that both the court judge and the Minister of Justice are from the ruling family which makes these sentences highly questionable. Furthermore, the laws by which the activists were sentenced were criticized more than once by international human rights organizations and have been used in the past 6 months to impose harsh sentences on individuals in several cases related to public security including illegal gathering.
The BCHR calls for:
The immediate release of all the detainees
An independent committee to look into allegations of torture and forced confession
Protection for human rights activists in Bahrain from targeting and legal prosecution as a result of their activities
A full review of those restrictive laws that have been used in these past months to impose harsh sentences on individuals in relations to public security charges
For more information Please contact Mr. Nabeel Rajab,+97339633399 e mail nabeel.rajab@bahrainrights.org
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
www.bahrainrights.org