Court sentences defendant to death in re-trial

Manama, Jan. 31 (BNA): The Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced a defendant to death for establishing and joining a terror group and killing an on-duty police officer and a civilian. The defendant also faced charges of causing an explosion, possessing explosives and weapons for terrorist purposes, raising funds for a terror group, illegal rallying and rioting, the head of the anti-terror crime prosecution Ahmad Al Hammadi said. The court also ruled to revoke his citizenship, he added. The case involving 23 defendants had been reviewed by a court that sentenced one of them to death and the others to life in jail. The court also revoked their citizenship and ordered two defendants to pay up BD200,000. The ruling was approved at the next stage by the Court of Appeals. In the death penalty ruling, and in accordance with Bahrain's laws, the case was referred to the Cassation Court and the judges decided to send it back to the high criminal court that issued its verdict.