Bahraini court gives heavy jail terms to two anti-regime activists, revokes their citizenship

A court in Bahrain has handed down prison sentences to two anti-regime protesters as the ruling Al Khalifah regime presses ahead with its heavy clampdown on political dissidents and pro-democracy activists in the kingdom.

On Monday, Bahrain's Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced one of the defendants to life imprisonment, while another received fifteen years in prison. Both were stripped of their Bahraini citizenship as well, Arabic-language Lualua television network reported.

The court also ordered the first defendant to pay a fine of 200,000 dinars ($530,420). The second anti-regime activist had to pay 100,000 dinars ($265,210).

On April 25, Bahrain's Military Court of Cassation upheld death sentences against seven anti-regime activists.

The country’s highest military appellate court found Adel Mubarak Muhanna, Fadel Sayyed Abbas Hassan Radhi, Sayyed Alawi Hussein Alawi Hussain, Mohamed Abdulhassen Ahmed al-Matghawi, Mohammed Abdul Hussain Saleh al-Shihabi, Mohammed Abdul Wahid Mohammed Al-Najjar and Hussein Mohammed Ahmed Shihab guilty of attempts to assassinate Commander-in-Chief of Defense Force Field Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifah.

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.

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They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to 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 crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

The Bahraini king ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3 last year.

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