Bahrain handed out life sentences on Monday to 14 men for killing a Pakistani national during pro-democracy protests led by the Gulf kingdom’s Shia majority earlier this year, the state news agency BNA said.
A military court also sentenced 15 others to 15 years in prison each for the attempted murder of a soldier, vandalising buildings at the University of Bahrain and “inciting hatred of the ruling system”, the agency said. Another six received 15 years each for intent to murder several people at the university, while a seventh was given 18 years. They were charged with setting a building on fire to kill those on an upper floor.
Bahrain’s Muslim rulers quashed the protests in March, with the help of troops from fellow neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At least 30 people were killed, hundreds wounded and more than 1,000 detained - mostly Shia - in the crackdown. Pakistani national Abdul Malik - killed in March - was assaulted with wooden planks and metal bars as he left his home in Manama, BNA said, adding that the 14 were also charged with intending to cause riots and commit other crimes.
Those jailed in all three cases were convicted for “spreading terror”, BNA said. The court rejected requests by lawyers in the three cases for an independent medical committee to investigate allegations that the defendants had been tortured, Mattar, a member of the largest Shia opposition group ‘Wefaq’, told Reuters.
A military court also sentenced 15 others to 15 years in prison each for the attempted murder of a soldier, vandalising buildings at the University of Bahrain and “inciting hatred of the ruling system”, the agency said. Another six received 15 years each for intent to murder several people at the university, while a seventh was given 18 years. They were charged with setting a building on fire to kill those on an upper floor.
Bahrain’s Muslim rulers quashed the protests in March, with the help of troops from fellow neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At least 30 people were killed, hundreds wounded and more than 1,000 detained - mostly Shia - in the crackdown. Pakistani national Abdul Malik - killed in March - was assaulted with wooden planks and metal bars as he left his home in Manama, BNA said, adding that the 14 were also charged with intending to cause riots and commit other crimes.
Those jailed in all three cases were convicted for “spreading terror”, BNA said. The court rejected requests by lawyers in the three cases for an independent medical committee to investigate allegations that the defendants had been tortured, Mattar, a member of the largest Shia opposition group ‘Wefaq’, told Reuters.
