Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Bahrain jails opposition leaders for life



Eight of the 21 defendants received life sentences

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/185764.html

A military court in Bahrain has sentenced eight opposition activists to life in prison for "plotting to overthrow the ruling system."

The special security court also handed sentences of up to 15 years to 13 other activists on Wednesday. Seven people were sentenced in absentia.

Bahraini authorities claim that those charged were trying to overthrow Bahraini government "by force and intelligence with a terror group colluding with a foreign country."

Witnesses said that after the judge read the sentences, the defendants pumped their fists in the air and shouted "peacefully" and vowed to continue their protest campaign against the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.

Maryam al-Khawaja, head of foreign relations office of Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said the court's guards beat the defendants and dragged them away from the courtroom after they spoke out against the unfair verdicts.

"Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful. Our people want freedom," shouted leader of the Waad party Ibrahim Sharif, who was sentenced to five years in jail.

"We will continue to fight for our rights and our people," human rights activists Abdulhadi al-Khawaja shouted as he was sentenced to life in prison.

Al-Khawaja's daughter, Zeinab, who was also at the court, protested at the verdicts, shouting "God is great" for three times.

She was hustled out of the courtroom by security guards and arrested on charge of contempt of court. After signing a number of pledges, however, she was released.

Ahead of the trial, anti-government activists set up roadblocks outside the courtroom and held rallies in support of the jailed anti-regime protesters.

According to Bahrain's official news agency, BNA, the activists have 15 days to appeal the rulings.

Those who received life sentences are:

1) Abdul Wahhab Hussain

2) Hassan Mushaima, the secretary-general of the Haq opposition party, who returned from self-imposed exile in Britain in February after the government dropped charges against him in a bid to appease protesters.

3) Abdul Jalil al-Muqdad

4) Abdul Jalil al-Singance, head of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy

5) Saeed Mirza al-Nouri

6) Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, prominent human rights activists

7) Saeed al-Shehabi (in absentia)

8) Mohammed Habib al-Saffaf (al-Muqdad)

The court also sentenced Mohammed Jawad to 15 years in jail. In addition, five activists, including Ebrahin Sharif, Abdulhadi al-Mukhodher, Abdulla al-Mahroos, Salah al-Khawaja, Mohammed Ali Radhi, were given 5 years behind bars.

Al-Hur al-Sumaikh received a two-year jail term.

Those who were tried in absentia are:

1) Aqeel al-Safir (15 years imprisonment)

2) Abdul Raouf al-Shayeb (15 years imprisonment)

3) Abbas al-Omran (15 years imprisonment)

4) Ali Mushaima, Hassan Mushaima's son (15 years imprisonment)

5) Abdulghani Khanjar (15 years imprisonment)

6) Ali Abdulemam, an outspoken government critic known as the "Bahraini blogger" (15 years imprisonment)

7) Saeed al-Shehabi (life imprisonment)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting on this post. Please consider sharing it on Facebook or Twitter for a wider discussion.

Russian / Ukraine War - (Mar 08th, 2024)

How the Ukraine War Changed the World - (Mar 01st, 2024)

Redacted - Egypt's betrayal of Palestine - Vanessa Beeley

CrossTalk | Magical thinking - (Feb 28th, 2024)

Hillary Clinton Interrupted & Called Out in Berlin

We don’t want war with Israel, but if they impose it on us, we are ready – Hezbollah

ICJ delivers ruling in favour of South Africa

ICJ ruling | Court stops short of ordering Gaza ceasefire, demands that Israel prevent genocide

South Africa's Closing Argument Against Israel for Genocide at the ICJ

Wider Middle East war. US, UK strike Yemen

U.S., UK Start Another Unwinnable War In Yemen

Geopolitical Storm Brewing from Palestine to Ukraine

How the US Global Order is Challenged - With Pepe Escobar (Nov 20, 2023)

Shahid Bolsen - Message to the Israeli people

Roger Waters - To Whom It May Concern: Please Stop.

US policy slowing down China's economy w/ Jeffrey Sachs

Max Blumenthal s destroys RFKJr's outrageous Israelí Propaganda

Totalitarianism, Censorship and Syria with Peter Lavelle, Vanessa Beeley & Kevork Almassian

Putin shows treaty on Ukraine’s neutrality, signed by Kiev but dumped under Western pressure

Assad's speech at the Arab League Summit - what it means for the future of the region

Assad returns to Arab League

HUGE China brokered deal, Iran & Saudi Arabia restore diplomatic ties

Nord Stream pipeline & sabotaging peace w/Jeffrey Sachs

The Tragedy of Ukraine

Historical Events that Led to the Start of the Ukraine Conflict

Your Wars Will Destroy the Planet - Roger Waters

Healthy Athletes suffer Heart Problems After Getting the Jab