Bahrainis are forced to confess under torture

The Court of Appeals has upheld a death sentence against Mahir Abbas Alkhabbaz who is also to serve a 5 year sentence in prison. Six other citizens have been sentenced to life in prison, another defendant was handed a 6 year sentence and finally one was handed a 5 year sentence.

Activists and lawyers said Alkhabbaz, who was sentenced to death on 19th February 2014, was at work the time the incident he is accused of took place. However, the court disregarded this information although his managers testified to it. The court also ignored his allegations of torture.

Five others have been sentenced to 5 years in prison with what has come to be known as the Formula1 case as the two women appeared in the F1 event wearing T-shirts showing advocacy to human rights. Among the defendants are 2 females, Nafeesa Alasfour and Rayhanna Almusawi, who were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Rayhanna had complained of being stripped of her clothes during detention, but the abusers have not been held accountable.

Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said such politically-motivated sentences issued by the regime reflect a vengeful doctrine. These sentences are issued in sham trials in disregard to the prisoners’ complaints of torture and coercion to extract confessions.

Al Wefaq said the regime’s harsh sentences and repression cannot end the people’s revolution for a democratic state where the people are the source of all powers.