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Bahrain court gives jail, death sentences to dissidents

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 10:09 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 29 March 2017 3:29 PM ]

A file photo of Hassan Isa, a leader of Bahrain’s banned opposition al-Wefaq National Islamic Society

A Bahraini court has handed down a jail sentence to a leader of the banned opposition al-Wefaq National Islamic Society and death and jail sentences to other anti-regime activists.

Hassan Isa, one of the leaders of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, which was Bahrain’s largest parliamentary bloc before it was dissolved by the Manama regime, received a 10-year jail sentence on Wednesday, Bahrain’s al-Wasat newspaper reported.

Isa was charged with funding a “terrorist group” involved in an attack that left two police officers dead and six others injured. He has categorically denied the charge.

The crackdown on al-Wefaq drew criticism from the then-United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon and prominent rights groups.

Also on Wednesday, the court sentenced two other regime opponents, namely Mohammed Ibrahim Al Tawq and Mohammed Radi Abdullah, to death.

Al-Wasat said that the court handed down life sentence to five other activists, and stripped the nationality of four of them.

Two others received 10-year jail terms and were stripped of their nationality.

Other revolutionaries also received sentences ranging from six months to 10 years in prison. They were sentenced over allegations including involvement in “terror-related” activities and the alleged killing of police officers and the attempted murder of others.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011. They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and let a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its brutal crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and many others gotten arrested in the crackdown.

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