Bahrain military court issues death sentence for 6 Shiites
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Bahrain's Military High Court on Monday sentenced six Shiites to death, 15 years in prison and revoked their nationality on charges of attempting to assassinate the commander-in-chief of the country's defense force, who oversees the appointment of military judges.
The state-run Bahrain News Agency said the case involved 18 defendants, eight of whom were tried in absentia. The group was charged with a number of crimes, including forming a terrorist cell.
Seven of the defendants were sentenced to seven years in jail and stripped of their Bahraini nationality. Five were acquitted. The state news agency said those found guilty have the right to appeal the verdict with the military's high court of appeals.
The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights criticized the verdicts, saying the military's judiciary is prosecuting civilians for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It alleged that the defendants were subjected torture and solitary confinement.
