High Court upholds jail terms against 8

Manama : The High Appeals Court yesterday upheld the jail sentence against eight persons who were convicted by the High Criminal Court. The accused were charged with sedition, illegal possession and use of arms, detonation of explosives, premeditated murder of a woman, putting public and private transport in danger, committing terror activities, concealing a fugitive and damage to property.

On 19 June 2016, the High Criminal Court sentenced the first accused to death penalty and the second to life term in jail while seven others were awarded three years’ jail term. The first and second defendant were stripped off their citizenship and asked to pay damages and fine.

The accused planted and detonated an explosive device on Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Street that killed a Bahraini woman, injuring her children.

Investigations led to the culprits, including a fugitive who is currently in Iran working in the interest of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who tasked two defendants who carried out the crime to detonate the explosive device that targeted police patrols in a bid to kill them. He furnished both defendants with the explosive device. After monitoring police movement in the area, the two accused planted the explosive device in place to implement their plot. They subsequently detonated the explosive device and the blast killed the victim who happened to be driving her car at the time and place of the incident. The women were killed and the children accompanying her in the car were injured. The first suspect escaped after committing the crime. He was sheltered and concealed by several suspects. The suspects were arrested in compliance with the legally prescribed procedures and referred to the Prosecution.