Rioters jailed for three years

The High Criminal Court has sentenced seven defendants to three years behind bars each for participating in illegal protests as well as possessing firebombs. The defendants were tried over accusations of planning to terrify citizens and residents, destabilise public peace, targeting police officers, putting the lives of citizens and residents at risk by carrying out a terrorist attack.

According to court files, the defendants were part of the riot, which broke out in Diraz on August 15, 2018, where they set tyres on fire as well as a water tank with the use of Molotov cocktails in an effort to hinder traffic on Budaiya Highway.

They staged a violent protest in Bani Jamra on September 5, 2019, and this time they assaulted a police patrol by hurling it with firebombs, according to Prosecutors Prosecutors said that four of the defendants received military training in 2017 and the first suspect trained the second defendant on how to make improvised explosives. The first defendant admitted to his charges laid against him, turning on his co-defendants and exposing their roles.