Rioters get prison bars

Manama

 The High Criminal Court has sentenced a man to eight years' imprisonment along with a fine of BD500 on grounds of possessing an arm and rioting. He was tried in connection with a riot broke out on October 14 last year in Diraz, where rioters attacked policemen with flammables before being dispersed.

 nvestigators nabbed five other suspects involved in the same event, but the High Criminal Court sentenced them to only three years behind bars each on charge of having firebombs and participating in an illegal gathering.

  According to court files, the first defendant admitted to participating in the riot, and told prosecutors that he was in possession of an arm. The involvement of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth defendants was confirmed by the second accused. The defendants were found guilty based on their confessions, detectives' investigations and witnesses' testimonies.

 Elsewhere in courts, the High Criminal Court has began hearing the case of 19 defendants accused of attempting to kill a post office security officer. The latter suffered burn wounds after a group of rioters carried out a petrol bomb assault against the Sitra Post Office. The saboteurs had reportedly also pelted Molotov cocktails at the police officers who arrived to the scene to defend the office.

 The injured victim was admitted to hospital, but he has fully recovered, according to court files. 

 Although all the thugs had fled the scene, detectives managed to identify 19 suspects have links with the incident. And one of them later led police to a cache, where rioting tools, and improvised shotguns as well as two masks were stashed in it. The defendants have been charged with premeditated attempted murder, putting lives and properties in danger, possessing flammables and rioting.