Jail terms for defendants on terror charges

Manama, June 16 (BNA): Chief of the Terror Crime Prosecution Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi said the High Criminal Court today sentenced 13 defendants to 15 years in jail and 22 defendants to three years in prison and acquitted five of the charges of attempted murder, arson, damaging public properties for a terrorist purpose, illegal rioting and possessing Molotov cocktails. The convicts are accused of plotting and targeting a police patrol on Budaiya Highway, near Duraz, with Molotov cocktails setting it alight with the intention to kill policemen, terrorize people and undermine Bahrain’s security. Two policemen sustained burns in the incident. The Public Prosecution relied in its investigation on testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, confession of the suspects and technical evidences including reports of the Criminal Investigation Directorate and medical reports. The suspects were referred to the High Criminal Court where they were tried in the presence of their lawyers and provided them with all legal and defence guarantees.