SALAM: Death penalties, life-sentences and torture against Bahrainis continue and severe doubts over neutrality of the courts

Bahrain’s highest criminal court has issued the death penalty against 2 Bahrainis, life sentences against 6, and a further 6 years against 1 accused of the bombing in Dair (north of Manama), which resulted in a death of a police officer, according to the authorities.
The names of the defendants are as follows:
1. Mohammed Ramadhan – death penalty
2. Hussain Ali Musa – death penalty
3. Hassan Al-Senabisi – life sentence
4. Waheeb Abdulla – life sentence
5. Hakeem Al-Asheeri – life sentence
6. Mustafa Ahmed – life sentence
7. Mohammed Yusuf Hassan – life sentence
8. Mohammed Ahmed Abdulla – life sentence
9. Isa Abdulla Rabee’ – 6 year imprisonment
Bahrain SALAM for Human Rights portrays its deep concern regarding these harsh sentences, which come at the back of continuous torture allegations, political revenge against activists, and partisanship of the judiciary, which has been used as a weapon for political suppression by the Bahraini authorities. This has been confirmed and documented by many international human rights organisations, after the investigations and recommendations by the Bahrain Independent Commission Inquiry and UN Human Rights Council.
We have followed and concluded that prisoners do not enjoy any legal right from the moment of their detention until their sentencing, and many complaining of torture and forced confessions prior to sentencing. Facts and allegations have lead us to strongly doubt the basis of any of these sentences, which came amidst a wide-scale security operation lead by the Bahraini authorities against both human rights and political activists.
Previously, the Bahraini authorities pushed for death sentences against Ali Al-Taweel and Maher Al-Khabaz, which were issued but not executed yet, and life sentences against dozens of activists. This manner of aggressive pursuance is now being used against all activists, whereby fundamental and legal rights are ignored.
Bahrain SALAM for Human Rights urges the UN Human Rights Council to expeditiously proceed with actions to prevent death penalties and life sentences and push for the preservation of prisoners’ legal rights aswell as a fair and neutral judicial system in Bahrain. We also urge the UN Human Rights Council to demand the release of activists in prison.
Bahrain SALAM for Human Rights
30 September 2014