Bahrain Mirror: The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld a first instance verdict ruling a 10-year imprisonment against a defendant accused of hiding an explosive device in a mosque in the Bahraini town of Moksha.

The Fourth High Criminal Court had ruled a 10-year imprisonment verdict against a defendant (21 years old), accused of hiding and explosive device in mosque's water closet in Moksha. The undetonated explosive device was confiscated by the court.

On February 22, 2015, the Public Prosecution accused the defendant of planting, along with other unknown individuals, an explosive device, to be used in order to destabilize security, public order, and for terrorism purposes.

Human rights organizations challenge the charges raised against political detainees, since they doubt the independence of the judiciary, whose members are assigned by royal decrees, and since it issues sentences based on confessions extracted under duress and evidence presented by secret investigations and anonymous witnesses.

Arabic Version