Bahrain Mirror: The second high criminal "appeals" court, presided over by Judge Bader Al-Abdullah, with the membership of judges Wajih Al-Shaer and Omar Al-Saidi and Mobarak Al-Anbar as a secretariat amended the verdict issued against the head of Ulama Islamic Council and prominent Shiite cleric Sayed Majeed Al-Mashaal over assembling, making riots, inciting hatred against the regime and taking part in an unlicensed assembly in Diraz. The court commuted Sayed Al-Mashaal's prison term from 3 years over two cases to two and half years only.

The court refused the appeals of Sayed Al-Mashaal in the first case and upheld the 2-year jail term against him. Meanwhile, it commuted the one-year jail term against him making it 6 months only in the second case. Thus, the total sentences against Al-Mashaal became 2 and half years instead of 3.

During the session, lawyer Jassim Serhan questioned the attesting witness and asked for time for pleading. The court, however, issued its verdicts against Sayed Al-Mashaal.

The court issued its first 2-jail term verdict against Al-Mashaal on (August 31, 2016)  and its second one-year jail term verdict on (October 6, 2016) based on taking part in the open sit-in outside Sheikh Isa Qassim's house protesting against the decision the revoked his citizenship.

Since the decision that revoked Sheikh Qassim's citizenship, the authorities have summoned dozens of clerics and activists and arrested some over different charges, on top inciting hatred against the regime and taking part in an unlicensed assembly.

Arabic Version