7 Bahraini’s Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Ref: 19040609
7 Bahraini’s Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Ref: 19040609
The Lower Bahraini Criminal Court sentenced seven defendants on Wednesday to a period of one year in jail. The defendants, Jaffar Abduljabbar Jaffar, Ahmed Yousuf Ahmed Nasser, Mohammed Abdulrasool Ahmed Ahmed, Abdulla Madan Ahmed, Mohammed Hassan Yousuf Saif, Ali Jaffar Jassim and Jaffar Hussain Mahmood Yousuf were arrested in connection with an “Unauthorized” demonstration which was dispersed by force by the special-police- force in the Sanabis-Daih area on the Western skirts of Manama (BCHR Ref: 02010606 for details of arrest).
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights had previously published a report in relations to this case, calling for an intervention and an end to the Bahraini Authorities continuous violations of the rights of the detainees. The Centre had received information that the detainees were held incommunicado for at least three days after their arrest, during which they were reportedly subjected to mistreatment and torture to give information on others and sign confessions. For two days, the relatives of most of the detainees remained uninformed of the arrest and the where about of their children.
Another issue which calls for worry, is the fact the more than one of the detainees was, and still is in need of medical treatment. Ali Jaffar Jassim suffers, according to members of his family, of psychological problems, and is in need of medical attention. His lawyer had previously submitted medical papers to the Court Judge, and requested Ali’s release accordingly. This however did not influence the judges decision and Ali received a one year sentence.
The Centre calls for the immediate release of the detainees, and the annulment of the Courts verdict based on the ground that the arrests of the detainees was done randomly, and the Public Prosecutor used highly questionable means to obtain confessions from the detainees, in addition to the fact that the Prosecution did not comply to the most basic International standards of Human and Prisoners right. The Centre also calls for an immediate review of the judicial system which has continuously proved to be far from an independent entity. The Bahraini Riot Police, the Public Prosecutor and the Judge seem to be interlinked in a very questionable and unbalanced manner, which results in speedy unfair trials delivering sentences based on laws which violate International Standards and Human Rights Treaties which Bahrain has signed.