Bahrain Mirror: A Bahraini supreme appeals court commuted the sentences issued against 2 appellants from 10 to 4 years in prison and 2 others from 10 to 5 years in prison over charges of setting fire to two vehicles, owned by MP Majeed Al-Asfoor.

The High Criminal Court had sentenced 6 defendants to 10 years in prison after convicting them of burning the MP's cars during the parliamentary elections which was held in October 2014.

The Public Prosecution had accused the six defendants of setting fire to the said property for a terrorist purposes, endangering people's lives and properties, also having possession of Molotov cocktails, and taking part in an assembly of more than 5 people aiming at disturbing public security and using violence to achieve the aim they gathered for.

Human rights organizations challenge the charges raised against the defendants, since they doubt the independence of the judiciary, whose members are assigned by royal decrees, and since it issues sentences based on confessions extracted under duress and evidence presented by secret investigations and anonymous witnesses.

Arabic Version