Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's High Criminal Court convicted 14 defendants over charges of acquiring explosives, arms and ammunition, without a license issued by the competent authority, for a terrorist purpose, as well as starting a fire, assembling and having possession of Molotov cocktails.

The court sentenced the first two suspects to 15 years in prison and the third to the seventh suspects to 3 years. A 7-year jail term was also handed down to the eighth to the fourteenth suspect over the charges raised against them.

The authorities claim that a group of protestors attacked police station in Sitra and policemen with Molotov cocktails, which led to burning properties. The Criminal Investigation Department launched its investigations which it claims led it to the suspects.

The public prosecution relied on the hearsay evidence, the attesting witnesses' testimonies, the defendants' statements and technical evidence.

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