The trial of the rights activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja was adjourned yesterday until November 3, at the request of his lawyers who wanted more time to prepare a plea bargin comprehensive defence on the merit of the earlier insanity pleading. Head of the four-member lawyer team defending the executive director of the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Mohammed Ahmed, explained to reporters that "we asked for more time to submit our case on the 'merit', which is, having the focus on the nature of accusation itself." Referring to the Article 165, Al Khawaja told the court that the law under which he was facing the trial, was unconstitutional. When asked, lawyer Mohammed Ahmed said that the time given by the court for the next hearing was 'satisfactory' and it will enable us to prepare what has been asked by the court, without having to hasten to meet the requirement.
Al Khawaja faces charges of demanding the resignation of the Kingdom's prime minister blaming him for the overall poverty, and the general deterioration of the national economy, although the Kingdom's economy has been registering a healthy growth over the years. However, when the Khaleej Times pointed out to him during his last trial on October 20, that he had spoken harshly against the government and that there was a taped evidence to prove it, so how can he deny saying so, Al Khawaja paused a while and after quickly changing his stance, said: "I do not remember saying so."
| "And you can quote me on that!" |
|