Thursday, 25, January, 2007 (07, Muharram, 1428)
Murder Case Verdict Fuels Sectarian Tension in Bahrain
Mazen Mahdi, Arab News —
MANAMA, 25 January 2007 — The family of a Reuters computer technician who was shot down in a street ambush last August was angered by a court decision yesterday to sentence the killer to life imprisonment instead of executing him.
The judgment, which came after four court appearances by the 29-year-old suspect, shocked family and friends of the 32-year-old father-of-two Mahdi Abdulrahman Mohammed who was gunned down on Aug. 20.
Some family members fainted in court and had to be rushed to hospital after the judge announced the sentence, while others organized protests calling the decision “sectarian” and “unfair”.
Thursday, 25, January, 2007 (07, Muharram, 1428)
Murder Case Verdict Fuels Sectarian Tension in Bahrain
Mazen Mahdi, Arab News —
MANAMA, 25 January 2007 — The family of a Reuters computer technician who was shot down in a street ambush last August was angered by a court decision yesterday to sentence the killer to life imprisonment instead of executing him.
The judgment, which came after four court appearances by the 29-year-old suspect, shocked family and friends of the 32-year-old father-of-two Mahdi Abdulrahman Mohammed who was gunned down on Aug. 20.
Some family members fainted in court and had to be rushed to hospital after the judge announced the sentence, while others organized protests calling the decision “sectarian” and “unfair”.
The killer, who has a criminal record and a history of drug abuse, had admitted to the shooting after an argument with Mohammed, but his lawyer claimed that he was provoked and acted in self-defense. He was arrested along with two other men who were in the car with him at the time of the shooting, but he was the only one charged.
The shooting sent shockwaves through the island where private citizens are not allowed to own firearms, and fuelled sectarian tension as the victim and the killer belonged to different denominations.
The murder also came in the midst of celebrations of the perceived victory of the Lebanese Hezbollah against Israel.
Some witnesses suggested that the argument had erupted between the two over Shiite celebrations in the streets.
“We want justice. My husband was gunned down in cold blood and his killer gets away with a life sentence while others who commit murders in less heinous ways are executed,” complained Mohammed’s wife following the court verdict.
Mohammed’s sister said the “mild sentence” would encourage others to commit murder because they know that they can get away with it. “He will be imprisoned and later they will pardon him; what justice is this? My brother is dead, his wife is struggling and his 12-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter will grow up without a father,” she said.
“We want him executed and we want the other two who were with him, and those who helped him obtain the firearm, charged with being accessories to a crime. They too should face justice.”
Mohammed’s relative Hassan Hajii said that the decision was motivated by sectarian differences. “This only fuels the sectarian tension here,” Hajii said.
“The proceedings were short and the judge did not even ask him about how he got the gun or the involvement of the other two despite the fact he has a criminal record and he was a suspect in another murder case.”
On Jan. 18, a Bahraini court sentenced a Bangladeshi to death and jailed two others for life over the premeditated murder of another Bangladeshi in October 2005.
The sentence came after Bahrain carried out its first execution in 10 years in mid-December when three murderers, a Pakistani man, a Bangladeshi woman and a man, were executed by firing squad.
In March 1996, Bahraini Isa Ahmad Qambar was executed by firing squad after a court ruled that he was guilty of the premeditated murder of a police officer.
The execution of the three last December drew criticism from international and local human rights groups, who said that the death penalty should be abolished.
According to Bahraini law, a life imprisonment sentence would place a convict in jail for the rest of his natural life, without the possibility of release unless he is pardoned by the king
