AhlulBayt News Agency

source : al Wefaq
Tuesday

8 January 2013

7:33:00 AM
379614

Al-Wefaq: Bahrain highest judicial body reflects necessity for deep reform in the regime-controlled judiciary

Bahrain's Cassation Court has rejected appeals of a number of political figures and leaders, some sentenced to life and others to 15 years imprisonment, upholding politically-motivated and retaliatory convictions for reasons relating to freedom of expression and opinion.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society considered the verdict political and reflects the absolute absence of an independent judiciary. The judiciary is being controlled and used by the regime in the political conflict to punish dissidents, and by this the revolution must continue, al-Wefaq stated.

Al-Wefaq mentioned that the political figures who's appeals have been rejected, were tried based on confessions obtained under torture and this was confirmed by the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) in detail.

Al-Wefaq pointed out that the BICI report confirmed that they are prisoners of conscience and demanded for their release, and it recommended "To establish a national independent and impartial mechanism to determine the accountability of those in government who have committed unlawful or negligent acts" which means no confidence in the current Bahraini judiciary.

The U's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, had described the originally issued convictions against the dissidents more than a year ago, as "political persecution", while Amnesty International had stated that the Bahraini judiciary is a 'travesty of justice'.

Al-Wefaq pointed out that this was the final verdict with no further legal appeals, which reveals that the regime is ready to take it to the end and to deal with the detainees as hostages.

If the international community is hoping for any good from this judiciary it will be disappointed as it appears that there is no Bahraini solution to the crisis, Al-Wefaq said.  

Al-Wefaq stated that the acceptance by the Cassation Court -being the highest judicial body- to issue a political decision emphasizes the necessity for deep reform in the judiciary that is controlled by the regime, as the Cassation court has accepted to be a  tool which the government uses to deter the opposition and punish the peaceful protesters. This gives OK to lower official bodies and the Public Prosecution to go in the same path, al-Wefaq added.        

One of the key demands of the opposition is reform and impartiality of the judiciary which is prosecuting its leaders and figures. 

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