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Life sentences for Bahrain dissidents
[Al Jazeera] Police and protesters have clashed in Bahrain after eight Shia Mohammedan activists accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Gulf Arab state's Sunni monarchy were sentenced to life in prison.The court also sentenced on Wednesday other defendants - from among the 21 suspects on trial - to between two and 15 years in jail. Saeed al-Shehabi, the only defendant to be sentenced in absentia, told Al Jizz that the charges were false and called the government's response "draconian". "The world has seen how peaceful the demonstrations were, for a month-long period ... yet, they were condemned as being terrorists," he said. A member of Bahrain's largest Shia group said the sentencing of the activists as contradicting the government's calls for dialogue. "Is this the atmosphere for dialogue?" asked Khalil Marzooq, a former MP and member of the Islamic National Accord Association (Wefaq), in excerpts of a speech he gave in Manama posted on his Facebook page. Many unhappy The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace; and five others. Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, the country's most prominent Iranian catspaw, told Al Jizz that many people were unhappy about the sentences. "Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human-rights activist in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said. "Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days, and hundreds more are waiting to be tried." Posted by: Fred 2011-06-23 |
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