AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): According to a report published by the Mar'at al-Bahrain website, the session for the case of a number of Shia scholars was held while a number of clerics and religious figures were present to testify in favor of one of the detained scholars at the court.
The author of the report, who himself was present as a defense witness at the session, reported the presence of an elderly cleric around 70 years old among the witnesses who, despite the heat and the long distance, had come to the court to testify to the innocence of a scholar.
This witness writes that upon entering the courthouse, the elderly cleric, instead of using the elevator, climbed the long flight of stairs despite his old age to fulfill his duty to testify.
In the waiting room, a group of clerics, seminary students, preachers, members of religious delegations, and other citizens were present, and according to the narrator, the atmosphere of the room was filled with prayers and invocations; some prayed for success in testifying, while others whispered prayers attributed to Imam Kazim (a.s.), asking God for relief and deliverance.
The session was supposed to begin at 10 AM, but the witnesses waited for more than two hours. The report says some of those present had come from distant areas to the Ministry of Justice in Manama, and the heat, poor ventilation, and prolonged waiting time had caused great fatigue.
One of the clerics even removed his turban to rest and placed his head on his walking stick. Simultaneously with the arrival of noon prayer time, the witnesses were torn between continuing to wait to testify and performing their prayers on time, and eventually the waiting room emptied of witnesses for a while as they went to the mosque to pray.
After the prayer, the witnesses returned to the waiting room, but this time silence and fatigue prevailed over the atmosphere. At around 12:45, after nearly three hours of waiting, one of the lawyers informed the witnesses that the first witness had entered the session.
Initially, it had been said that each person's testimony, including questioning and recording statements, would take about 10 minutes, but given that there were 11 defendants in this session and two witnesses were designated for each defendant, the number of witnesses exceeded 20, and the continuation of the process could last several more hours.
Subsequently, at around 13:30, officials moved the witnesses to a separate room near the courtroom so that those who had given their testimony would not meet with the other witnesses.
The author of the report described this action as similar to holding an exam at school and questioned whether the prolongation of the proceedings was due to poor time management or aimed at creating physical and psychological pressure on the witnesses. He emphasized that despite these conditions, the witnesses had voluntarily attended to support the scholars and give their testimony.
At 14:00, one of the lawyers announced that the duration of testimony for each witness, including answering the questions of the judge and prosecutor, would be about 30 minutes. Shortly after, at 14:45, the witnesses were informed that the judge had adjourned the session for a break.
The report adds in a critical tone that while judges and other court officials have the right to rest, the witnesses remain waiting, an issue the author considers part of the protracted process of handling the case.
The report concludes by stating that the hours of waiting and fatigue of the witnesses are insignificant compared to the conditions of the detained scholars; scholars who, according to the author, are imprisoned due to their religious activities and face what he considers false and heavy charges.
The author also emphasizes that despite the uncertainty about whether their testimony would be accepted or rejected, the witnesses have devoted their time and energy to supporting the scholars, and quoting one of the lawyers, this presence and endurance of hardships will be recorded "in the balance of their good deeds."
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