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Three hurt as relatives protest outside court
Published: 17th February 2009
THREE people were allegedly hit by rubber bullets as police clashed with relatives outside the trial. Relatives were banned from protesting outside the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry complex and the street in front of the complex was blocked.
All relatives were earlier ordered to stand outside the ministry complex because judges refused them entry into the High Criminal Court.
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Three hurt as relatives protest outside court
Published: 17th February 2009
THREE people were allegedly hit by rubber bullets as police clashed with relatives outside the trial. Relatives were banned from protesting outside the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry complex and the street in front of the complex was blocked.
All relatives were earlier ordered to stand outside the ministry complex because judges refused them entry into the High Criminal Court.
They were then forced to stand in front of Starbucks, located besides the ministry complex.
A small conflict erupted after riot police allegedly fired rubber bullets.
A GDN journalist inside the court room heard five shots from outside at around 12.20pm.
Relatives claimed they didn’t provoke the officers and that they were standing on the sidelines of the streets.
The rubber bullets allegedly hit two elderly men and a woman, who were standing in front of the group of protesters. They immediately dispersed as the men fled the scene, while policemen followed them on foot.
A lawyer, who was having lunch in a nearby restaurant, told the GDN that one of the male relatives had an unlit Molotov cocktail in his hands.
“The relatives were protesting on the side of the street when I saw one of the men holding an unlit Molotov cocktail in his hands, before I heard exploding sounds from everywhere,” she said.
The ministry was unable to comment last night.
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© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/story.asp?Article=243263&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31334
