Group’s statement slammed

Manama, Apr. 27 (BNA): Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry’s Undersecretary, Dr. Farid bin Yaqoob Al-Meftah, has slammed the statement made by Abdulla Al-Ghuraifi and his group on April 26, while commenting on His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s blessed move to commute the death penalty to life in jail term against four convicts. The undersecretary stressed that it is not acceptable for Al-Ghuraifi and his group to ignore the dangerous terrorist crimes committed by those convicts and others, and to take advantage of HM the King’s gesture to reduce the penalty inflicted against them to call for pardoning and releasing all convicts. Instead of prohibiting the crimes committed by the perpetrators and supporting the judicial rulings handed down to them, Al-Ghuraifi and his group, in their statement, overlooked the criminals’ crimes, thus paving the way for others to follow in their steps, Dr. Al-Meftah said. He added that Al-Ghuraifi and his group should have championed the Right and defended the rights of people in their lives, safety, security, money and reputation, instead of their failed attempt to ignore facts and exploit the occasion of HM the King’s decision to commute the death penalty to mix papers. It is therefore outrageous to hijack the King’s benevolent gesture and defend evil through attempting to acquit criminals despite the shameful crimes they had committed and the blood they had shed, he added. The undersecretary praised the humanitarian and tolerant stance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF,) Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, for his humanitarian and tolerant stance which led to commuting the death penalty against the four convicts, who were found guilty of coordinated attempt to target his life. Should they want to make statements, Al-Ghuraifi and his group have to make sure that their statements are responsible because they will be held accountable for them, the undersecretary stressed.