Two convicts released on humanitarian grounds

Manama, May 31 (BNA): First Advocate-General at the Public Prosecution Abdulrahman Al-Sayed has announced that convicts Zeinab Al-Khawaja and Irina Bojutova have been released for humanitarian reasons. Al-Sayed said that the decision was taken in response to the report issued by the Office of the Ombudsman following its visit to the Women's Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre (WRCC) in which Zeinab Al-Khawaja and Irina Bojutova were serving prison sentences, alongside their sons, aged 16 months and four years, respectively. Although suitable living requirements and care were provided for the two inmates and their two sons, the Office of the Ombudsman recommended, in its report, the need to consider staying the execution of the sentence because of the psychological situation, caused mainly by being in the centre, he said. The Public Prosecution then referred the matter to the sentence execution judge to take the necessary action regarding the recommendations in the report of the Office of the Ombudsman, he added. The judge ordered the suspension of the sentence against Zeinab Al-Khawaja and Irina Bojutova because of their humanitarian situation and for the sake of the well-being and interests of their sons, First Advocate-General Abdulrahman Al-Sayed said, affirming that they had already been released.