BAHRAIN: TWO DEATH PENALTIES

February 1, 2018:

The Fourth High Criminal Court in Bahrain, headed by Judge Ali Khalifa Al Dhahrani, unanimously sentenced Mousa Abdullah Mousa Jaafar to death on charges of killing a policeman in the Karana bombing. Another death sentence was isseud on Maher Al Khabaz on 29 January 2018.
According to Maytham Al Salman, Special Advisor at the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, 22 Bahrainis remain currently on death row, which marks a record in the history of Bahrain.
According a press release on the increase in the use of capital punishment since 2017 in Bahrain, FIDH reminded that in Barhein civilans may be tried before military courts and not civil courts. These courts were condemned by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) in 2011 for their acceptance of confessions extracted under torture and their failure to hold fair trials.
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry recommended halting trying civilians in military courts in 2011, which was accepted by authorities. However, Bahrain amended the constitution to grant these courts the power to try civilians on 3 April 2017. This constitutional amendment was regarded by Bahraini human rights organizations as catastrophic.