A court in Bahrain has convicted dozens of the country’s citizens to death, life in prison, and denationalization over allegations of murder and terrorism amid heightened security measures.
On Sunday, Bahrain’s al-Wasat newspaper reported that the court had issued death sentences against three and life terms against seven others, while stripping eight more of their citizenship over their alleged involvement in the killing of a police officer on the island of Sitra, south of the capital back in May.
The tribunal also convicted four other people to life in jail and six more to 15 years behind bars each over accusations that they had established and led a “terrorist” group named Jaish al-Imam “with the intention of arming and training its members to carry out acts of terrorism.”
The country, meanwhile, held hearings for Sheikh Ali Salman, who headed the al-Wefaq opposition group, Bahrain’s largest parliamentary bloc before dissolution by the Manama regime, and fellow senior opposition cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim.
Sheikh Qassem took part in a trial session in Manama, which was likewise adjourned upon hearing only three testimonies to December 5.
A source close to Ayatollah Qassem said His Eminence was not interested in this trial, he doesn’t care and didn’t follow up with any of its findings. The source said Sheikh Qassem even refused to appoint a lawyer and didn’t bring up any witnesses.
In addition, the ruling of Sheikh Ali Salman’s case was postponed to 12 December for further deliberation, according to the Bahraini judiciary.
Sheikh Ali Salman’s family and a number of human rights activists were banned from entering the session, which was held in the presence of a number of lawyers and representatives of some foreign embassies, Bahraini sources reported.
Source: Websites
