Bahrain : Continued imprisonment of protesters and postponement of prosecutions, including for Minors, to next Month
Detainees of the village of Karbabad, Sayed Ali Sayed Akbar (20 years), Jafar Sadiq Kadhem (21 years), Mahmood Ali Mahdi (22yrs) were summoned to Court this morning on charges of crowd and riot, and was postponed for one week (April 5, 2007) with extension of their custody since lat February 22 nd.
It also extended yesterday Criminal Court smaller solitary Jaafar Salman Yusuf (23 years) from Karranah, Radhi Ali Radhi (22 years) from Abu Saiba and Jassem Jaafar Madan (25 years) from Daih (resident of Hamad Town) who were arrested in the middle of last February. The judge postponed the trial until mid next month (April 15), after their lawyers explained to the court how the detainees were subjected to torture and abuse while in custody, which was evident on their bodies according to eye witnesses. The Court decided to have them examined by the coroner (doctor).
Bahrain : Continued imprisonment of protesters and postponement of prosecutions, including for Minors, to next Month
Detainees of the village of Karbabad, Sayed Ali Sayed Akbar (20 years), Jafar Sadiq Kadhem (21 years), Mahmood Ali Mahdi (22yrs) were summoned to Court this morning on charges of crowd and riot, and was postponed for one week (April 5, 2007) with extension of their custody since lat February 22 nd.
It also extended yesterday Criminal Court smaller solitary Jaafar Salman Yusuf (23 years) from Karranah, Radhi Ali Radhi (22 years) from Abu Saiba and Jassem Jaafar Madan (25 years) from Daih (resident of Hamad Town) who were arrested in the middle of last February. The judge postponed the trial until mid next month (April 15), after their lawyers explained to the court how the detainees were subjected to torture and abuse while in custody, which was evident on their bodies according to eye witnesses. The Court decided to have them examined by the coroner (doctor).
In the same context, the Bahraini security authorities declared 18th of next month for the trial of all minors, below the age of 17 years old (most of them in full time education), who were released two weeks after their arrest in the same protest of the protesting activities.
The Public Prosecutions accused all detainees – including the minors-with the charge of crowd and riot, according to Articles 178 and179 of the Penal Code. Article 178 states that “shall be punished by a term of up to two years and a fine no more than two hundred Dinars, or both, who participated in a gathering in a public place consisting of five persons at least, the purpose of which is to commit crimes, or acts equipping or facilitating for it, or disturb public security, even if that was to fulfill a legitimate objective”. Article 179, however, states that ” If one or more of the crowd launched in the use of violence to achieve the goal of for which they gather, that was considered riot and each of the participants, knowingly, in that riot is sentenced with imprisonment and a fine not exceeding five hundred dinars, or one of these penalties “.
The Committee of Activists stresses that the prosecution and the continued incarceration of those young people, while subjecting them to torture in order to obtain confessions, as well as the trial of the minors next month, will not be contributing to the stability of the general situation. Rather, it contributes to destabilizing activities in light of the counteraction protests, and the violent treatment by the security forces in dispersing it. Violence only begets counter violence, and the Bahraini Authorities should express more tolerance in dealing with peaceful expressions, and not to plunge the country into tension by dealing with those expressions which characterized by excessive use of force.
We reiterate our appeal to evacuate the detention cells of all detainees of conscience and expression, the immediate release of the present detainees and close the current file once and for all. We also demand that those responsible for the excessive use of force against protesters and residential areas which witnessed protests, as well as proven guilty in the torture and abuse of detainees, to be brought before fair trial in order to be an example to others, and to ensure respect and safeguard of human rights.
Committee of Solidarity with Activists and Detainees of Conscience in Bahrain
March 29th, 2007.