At about 10am local time (7am GMT) today, Shaikh Mohamed Al-Khalifa, seated judge of the High Criminal Court, came out of his chamber with two other judges to swiftly declare the verdicts on the 15 December detainees, to be in the order of charges as per the referral case No. 1492/2007 by the Prosecutions office dated January 17, 2008. The verdicts were as follows:

A) Imprisonment of 5 years:
1. Maytham Al-Shaikh- spokesman of Unemployed Committee:
2. Isa Al-Sarh: member of Amal Political Society
3. Naji Fateel: member of Bahrain Youth Society of Human Rights
4. Mohamed Abdallah Al Singais: Head of Committee Against High Prices

Charges:
- Participation with others in riot in a public gathering composed of more than 5 people, the purpose of which is to disturb public security and commit criminal offences to funds and properties, as well as attacking police forces using force and violence. These acts were executed by them to achieve the objective behind assembly, with their knowledge of the following crimes:
i. Use of force and violence with public officers with the intention of preventing them from performing some of their duties, by hurling them with stones, metallic rods and firing bottles (Molotov).
ii. Set a blaze to a police vehicle no. 2975 owned by the Ministry of Interior (MOI), exposing lives and funds for danger, by surrounding and controlling it.
Maytham Al-Shaikh and Isa Al-Sarh are also charged with:
- Theft of a fire weapon owned by the MOI, as detailed in the documents.
- Possession, without permission or authorization, a fire weapon "MP5 automatic rifle".
Naji Fateel and Mohammed Al-Singais are also charged with:
- Theft of a weapon ammunition, owned by MOI, as detailed in the documents.
- Possession, illegally and without permission, part of a firing weapon "two storage compartments for MP5".

B) Imprisonment of 7 years and a fine of about BD 10000 (US $26,525):
Hasan Abdulnabi: founding and activte member of Unemployed Committee
Charges:
- Participation with others in riot in a public gathering composed of more than 5 people, the purpose of which is to disturb public security and commit criminal offences to funds and properties, as well as attacking police forces using force and violence. These acts were executed by them to achieve the objective behind assembly, with their knowledge of the following crimes:
i. Use of force and violence with public officers-police force responsible for safeguarding security in the area of the event- with the intention of preventing them, without right, from performing some of their duties, by hurling them with stones, metallic rods and firing bottles (Molotov) to prevent them from dispersing their assembly and arresting them, an objective which they met.
ii. Set a blaze to a police vehicle no. 2975 owned by the Ministry of Interior (MOI), exposing lives and funds for danger, by surrounding and controlling it.
iii. The insertion of a blazed bottle filled with gasoline inside the vehicle, helping fire to expand as detailed in the documents.

C) Imprisonment of 1 year:

1) Ali Ahmed Almadhi, 2) Husain Abdulhasan Khatam, 3) Ahmed Jafar Mohamed, 4) Hussein Shaker Mohamed, 5) Ahmed Abdulhadi Ahmed, 6) Mahmoud Hasan Saleh
Charges:
- Participation with others in riot in a public gathering composed of more than 5 people, the purpose of which is to disturb public security and commit criminal offences to funds and properties, as well as attacking police forces using force and violence. These acts were executed by them to achieve the objective behind assembly, with their knowledge of the following crimes:
i. Use of force and violence with public officers-police force responsible for safeguarding security in the area of the event- with the intention of preventing them, without right, from performing some of their duties, by hurling them with stones, metallic rods and firing bottles (Molotov) to prevent them from dispersing their assembly and arresting them, an objective which they met.
ii. Set a blaze to a police vehicle no. 2975 owned by the Ministry of Interior (MOI), exposing lives and funds for danger, by surrounding and controlling it.
D) Exoneration: The following were acquitted: 1) Hussein Jafar Turaif, 2) Abdullah Mohsin, 3) Mohammed Makki 4) Ibrahim Al Arab:

The detainees, among them well known human rights defenders, were house arrested during last December after the death of a demonstrator Ali Jassem (31yrs) in an event called upon by Committee of Victims of Torture on December 17th to commemorate martyrs and call up on reparation of victims.

The detainees, especially the activists, were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture which include sexual assault, to coerce them to confess of crimes which they have not committed. The allegations of torture were confirmed by a special medical committee set out to examine the detainees after three months of detainment.

The first court session for the 15 detainees was set on February 24th, 2008, two months after the commencement of interrogation and torture. The court was held on average basis of once a month to have its final session today.

It is anticipated that such convictions will have an impact on the overall security stability of the country, as substantiated by the daily unrest and protests in different parts of Bahrain and the subsequent security alert exemplified by the authorities.

HAQ considers these convictions politically motivated and a mere target to activists (political and human rights). HAQ holds the Authorities full responsibility for the safety and well being of those activists calling for their immediate and unconditional release after dropping all charges. HAQ calls for the UN different bodies to intervene for the protection of activists and dissidents in Bahrain, inviting the SR for torture and human rights defenders and arbitrarily detention to consider Bahrain on their list of visits.


Time: 3:00pm local time (12:00pm GMT)
13th July 2008

For more information, Please contact:
Dr Abduljalil Alsingace at +44-7871087060 or on the email:[email protected]