Bahrain Mirror: The Public Prosecution claimed that the trial of spiritual leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim is not linked to Khums ritual.

It said in a statement that "the interrogations carried out by the prosecution and charges attributed to the suspects are not related to the Khums ritual." It added "the charges levelled against the defendants are related to raising money for public purposes which is regulated by the law and requires the person in charge to obtain an authorization from the competent party.  The issue is purely organizational and has nothing to do with religious duties."

"The defendants are also charged with money laundering for using the money in the private transactions for one of them," the prosecution added.

The Senior Attorney General pointed out that "the verdict to be handed down will be considered proclaimed in the presence of the defendants who failed to turn up for the court hearing due to its announcement and the attendance of the trial by one of the defendants."

It is to mention that the authorities arrested Sheikh Hussein Al-Mahrous (one of the suspects with Sheikh Isa Qassim) over assembly and brought him to the court (despite he did not want) to make the trial of Sheikh Qassim more legitimate. Sheikh Qassim and the defendants did not attend the session and did not assign lawyers.

Arabic Version