No longer security risks

TDT | Manama

The Public Prosecution has enforced the provisions of the Alternative Punishment Law on 60 convicts at the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre who have already served half of the period of their jail sentences. The Public Prosecution issued sentences replacing the remaining imprisonment period with alternative punishment types, which are consistent with the current circumstances.

The move comes after the Public Prosecution received a request from the Interior Ministry’s Verdict Enforcement Directorate to look into changing the sentences of a number of inmates at the centre. The request was submitted in light of a study conducted by the directorate on their personal conditions and given that they pose no security risk.

Attorney General Dr Ali bin Fadhel Al Buainain said that the move is in light of the Alternative Punishment Law and royal directives while taking into consideration the convicts’ personal and family conditions, as well as humanitarian reasons justifying changing the jail sentences.

The Attorney General explained that the penal policy adopted by the Kingdom of Bahrain permits the re-evaluation of punishments on the basis of reform and influential changes affecting the community.

It also takes into consideration social conditions without violating justice or personal rights. In line of this approach, and due to the current circumstances in Bahrain and around the world, a royal decree was issued recently pardoning 901 convicts.

Therefore, the total number of inmates at the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre who benefited from the royal pardon, alongside those who benefited from changing their jail sentence over the past two months, has reached 1,793 so far.