Bahraini Court Upholds 15 Year Sentences Handed to 28 Defendants

Local Editor

An Appeals Court in Bahrain upheld 15 year sentences that had been handed to 28 defendants in an alleged "attempted murder" case.

Three other defendants in the same case had their sentences reduced to 7 years, Alwefaq.net reported Monday.

However, the defendants had told their lawyers that they had been mistreated and assaulted in a way that would not leave marks or bruises on their bodies.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain court has rejected an appeal to lift a travel ban on a senior opposition figure facing charges of encouraging anti-government violence in the Gulf nation.

Lawyers backing Khalil al-Marzooq also challenged the anti-terrorism codes under which he is charged, which can strip citizenship in some cases. But the court Monday said the charges stand and set the next hearing for Dec. 12.

The unbalanced rulings highlight the Bahraini Judiciary's travesty of justice.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for al-Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on the peaceful protesters.

According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team