Bahrain: 7 Individuals Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison While Two Police Officers Acquitted


Photo : A solidarity protest with the 20 Prisoners

–UPDATE–

Date: 27 FEB 2013

Seven individuals were sentenced to ten years in prison, three of them minors; thirteen were acquitted. The judge in the case is a member of the ruling family: Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Khalifa.


Photo : A solidarity protest with the 20 Prisoners

–UPDATE–

Date: 27 FEB 2013

Seven individuals were sentenced to ten years in prison, three of them minors; thirteen were acquitted. The judge in the case is a member of the ruling family: Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Khalifa.

The seven individuals who were sentenced to prison are:

1. Ebrahim Abdulla Al-Mualim 44
2. Jaffar Abd-Ali Al-Khazaz 35
3. Jassim Abdullah Jassim 22
4. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Taqi 19
5. Ebrahim Ashoor Abdullah 17
6. Sayed Ali Alawi 16
7. Taqi Mohmmaed Al-Taqi 17

The BCHR restates the fact that these arrests were conducted without warrants, and that no physical evidence has been presented to tie these individuals to the alleged crimes. The BCHR believes that in the absence of a fair and impartial trial, these individuals should be immediately released.

//

Date: 26 FEB 2013

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its deep concern about the continuous use of the judicial system as a tool to silence dissidents and activists.

The BCHR documented a case concerning 20 people, four of them minors, from the area of Sitra, who were arrested last year on 15th February 2012. Police arrested these twenty people from two houses following multiple house raids. One of the houses raided was in the village of Mehazza and the other was in the village of Sufala. During the violent house raids there were no arrest warrants presented.

The 20 prisoners have been charged with:

1. Attempted Murder of Two Policemen
2. Attacking a Policeman
3. Damaging a Police Car and Possession of Molotov Cocktails

List of Names and Ages:

1 Ebrahim Abdulla Al-Mualim 44
2 Khalil Ebrahim Ali 41
3 Jaffar Abd-Ali Al-Khazaz 35
4 Nawaf Hashim Fardan 34
5 Abbas Moh’d Hubail 30
6 Sayed Haidar Humaidan 29
7 Jawad Taher Al-Sharqi 28
8 Sayed Qassim Alawi 24
9 Sadiq Bu-Hussain 24
10 Ali Abdulwahid Al-Makna 20
11 Jassim Abdullah Jassim 22
12 Ahmed Bu-Hussain 21
13 Mohammed Al-Aradi 27
14 Mohammed Ahmed Al-Taqi 19
15 Ahmed Tahir Eid 19
16 Abduallah Al-Khudur 18
17 Adel Al-Safi 17
18 Sayed Ali Alawi 16
19 Ebrahim Ashoor Abdullah 17
20 Taqi Mohmmaed Al-Taqi 17

The public prosecuter stalled their case in what appears to be a form of punishment by detaining them for 45 days. He then renewed the case for another 20 days before their first trial, which was initially set for 25 July 2012.

During the trial, the BCHR became aware that the prosecution has presented no physical evidence that indicated wrongdoing on the part of any of the 20 prisoners. In addition, the incident as per a police report occurred at 8:00 PM, and all were arrested at 9:00PM the same day, indicating an excessively fast investigation.

The verdict will be given on 27th February 2013.


Photo : Shotgun wounds in the back of Fadhel Al-Matrook

Meanwhile today (26th Feb 2012), Bahraini courtrooms, that are being dominated by a culture of impunity and a corrupt judicial system, the high criminal court acquitted 2 security men from the murder of Fadhel Al-Matrook who was killed on 15th February 2011.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the UN and all other allies and international institutions to put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to:

1. Release all political prisoners and drop all trumped up charges against them.

2. Hold all those responsible for violations and crimes accountable, including members of the ruling family.

3. Reform the judicial system so that it is up to international standards of fair and independent trials.