Imam murder convict loses plea as court upholds death sentence

The High Court of Appeals considered the appeals lodged by two convicts involved in deliberately and premeditatedly murdering the imam of Bin Shida Mosque, rejected their appeals and upheld the sentence issued by the High Criminal Court, Chief Prosecutor of Muharraq Governorate, Hussain Khamis, said.

The Public Prosecution had referred both defendants on charges of deliberate, premeditated murder, desecrating and concealing the victim’s body. The jury unanimously agreed on issuing the death sentence against the first and one year in jail and deportation against the second defendant for his role in concealing the body and failure to report the crime. Both convicts appealed to the High Appeals Court which considered the case and issued the foregoing ruling.

According to court documents, Bahraini imam Abduljaleel Hamood went missing in the early hours of August 5 after he performed the Al-Fajr prayer (dawn prayer). Police was notified about his absence by his family after they lost contact with him, while search efforts went at full swing as his photos and missing information went viral on a social media platform. Putting an end to the mystery, the Ministry of Interior announced on its official Twitter account that Hamood’s body was found cut into pieces inside plastic bags in Al Mazra area near the scrapyard in Askar.

A 35-year-old Asian man was later arrested in connection with his murder. The suspect was working as a prayer reciter at the same mosque. It’s believed that the suspect committed the crime following differences that arose after the victim reported the 35-year-old Bangladeshi man to the Ministry of Justice for illegal trading of visas.