(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On Sunday, the Court of Appeal in Bahrain reduced to 3 years sentences handed to security personnel who are charged with the murder of Abdul-Karim Fakhrawi under torture in the Bahraini jails.A similar decision was made on 21st October 2013 to reduce the 7 year sentence given to the killer of Ali Mushaima to only 3 years. The courts’ decisions come in line with the Government’s systematic impunity and encouragement of more killings against citizens. The consecutive decisions to reduce sentences of killers and criminals, is an official adoption of all crimes and violations and an encouragement to continue is such acts without punishment or accountability, Al Wefaq stated.Al Wefaq stressed decisions to lighten the punishment of and acquit killers are not taken spontaneously. These decisions are taken within a clear policy by which the Government declares to the local and international public criminals who perpetrate violations, including killings, will not be punished, as long as these violations are in favor of the Government.The trials of criminals that have actually taken place represent a small fraction of the number of trials that are supposed to take place against officials and those involved in the killings of citizens. Yet, the few trials have failed to satisfy the Bahraini people of the fairness of the trials and their results. On the one hand, citizens are handed lengthily sentences to as long as 25 years in cases related to freedom of expression, and on the other hand, criminals are given light sentences or acquitted in sham trials which cannot, in any country, represent real justice.Al Wefaq said that the manner in which Fakhrawi and others were killed shows the solemn bloody brutality, adding, if such crimes were judged in any democratic state, the court’s decision would not disvalue the blood of the Bahraini victims.The courts had previously acquitted officers involved in torturing medics and another female officer accused of torturing a journalist. While the courts have handed harsh sentences to over 100 citizens in politically motivated trials.According to the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, chaired by international law expert Mr. Cherif Bassiouni, trials in Bahrain are used to attack the opposition. While the UN HCHR Ms. Navi Pillay had said these trials are used for “political prosecution”. While Amnesty International had said the courts’ sentences are a “travesty of justice”. Also, Human Rights Watch had issued a report following the conviction of 21 prominent political activists and 20 others who work in the medical field. The report was titled; “No justice in Bahrain; unfair trials in military and civilian courts”./129
source : al Wefaq
Tuesday
29 October 2013
8:30:00 PM
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