Man gets sentence revoked after 5 years

A Bahraini man, who received a three-year jail term in 2014 for his alleged involvement in an illegal gathering and burning tires on the main road in Juffair, got his verdict revoked following an appeal. In the appeal, the man claimed that he was not officially informed about the case or its trial sessions. The Supreme Court of Appeals accepted the man’s plea and ordered to return the case to the same court that sentenced him five years ago.

The details of the case show that the security forces were tipped-off about rioting and illegal acts being carried out near Al Dulab (Old Juffair) intersection on Al Fateh Highway. At the scene, the police saw a group of masked individuals burning tyres and garbage containers to block the vital road. Some of the culprits escaped the scene, but the forces succeeded in the arrest of one of them, who told the police that he received a text message to assemble at the location to block the road.

On 24 February 2014, the Public Prosecution accused both men of intentionally setting fire to objects and endangering the lives and property of people. The prosecution also charged them of participating with other unknown persons in an illegal gathering of more than five people to disturb public security with Molotov cocktails. In September of the same year, the court issued a threeyear imprisonment sentence against the defendants, including the appellant, who was sentenced in absentia.

The Supreme Court of Appeals mentioned in its announced verdict yesterday that the previous case didn’t specify if the appellant was informed about the case and its trial sessions.