SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Bahrain's government says it has only tried a small number of those involved in recent mass protests. (Reuters)
Life Sentences for Bahrain Activists
Eight activists jailed for life for allegedly plotting coup during protests earlier this year, according to state news.
Jun 22, 2011
Eight prominent activists accused of plotting a coup in Bahrain during protests earlier this year have been sentenced to life in prison, according to the country's state news agency.
The court on Wednesday also sentenced other defendants, from among the 21 suspects on trial, to between two and 15 years in jail.
The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace and five others.
Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that many people were unhappy about the sentences.
"Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human rights activist in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said.
"Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days, and hundreds more are waiting to be tried."
Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that Abdulhady al-Khawaja's daughter Zainab, was present in court when he was sentenced and stood up and chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greater).
She was violently removed from court and arrested. She was later released after being charged with contempt of court and made to sign a pledge.
Alleged coup plot
Al-Singace, who was released in February after six months in jail, was also sentenced to life.
Nine of the defendants had been in custody on similar charges in the past before being set free under a royal pardon in February aimed at calming protests in the kingdom. Following the pardon, Mushaima returned to Bahrain from self-imposed exile in the UK.
Ibrahim Sharif, the Sunni leader of the secular leftist group Waad, was sentenced to five years. Waad had joined the largest Shia opposition group Wefaq in calling for political reforms.
Said Abdulnabi Shihab was also sentenced to life in absentia. Six other defendants who are abroad and being tried in absentia were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Authorities claimed the activists had sought to overthrow Bahrain's Sunni monarchy and had links to "a terrorist organisation abroad".
Witnesses say demonstrators made roadblocks with sand and debris, and called for marches to oppose the trial. No violence was reported.
"We've seen today, since early in morning, that lots of protesters have blocked the highways and roads," Rajab said.
Demonstrations continue
On Tuesday night, several villages had demonstrated in solidarity with the opposition leaders facing charges.
Residents and activists said small protests broke out in some areas to chants of "Down, down (King) Hamad", as police cars rushed to block the roads to the villages.
The government contests the opposition's estimate that some 400 people are on trial, saying the number is far smaller.
Some activists sent telephone text messages calling on followers to protest again on Wednesday to demand the release of the defendants and rejection of the government's dialogue offer.
Four people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in prison over the killing of two policemen. Nine others were jailed for 20 years after being convicted of abducting a policeman.
Authorities have said 24 people were killed during the month-long unrest, most of them demonstrators.
Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, invited Saudi and other Gulf troops in mid-March to help crush pro-democracy protests.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Eight prominent activists accused of plotting a coup in Bahrain during protests earlier this year have been sentenced to life in prison, according to the country's state news agency.
The court on Wednesday also sentenced other defendants, from among the 21 suspects on trial, to between two and 15 years in jail.
The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace and five others.
Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that many people were unhappy about the sentences.
"Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human rights activist in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said.
"Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days, and hundreds more are waiting to be tried."
Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that Abdulhady al-Khawaja's daughter Zainab, was present in court when he was sentenced and stood up and chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greater).
She was violently removed from court and arrested. She was later released after being charged with contempt of court and made to sign a pledge.
Alleged coup plot
Al-Singace, who was released in February after six months in jail, was also sentenced to life.
Nine of the defendants had been in custody on similar charges in the past before being set free under a royal pardon in February aimed at calming protests in the kingdom. Following the pardon, Mushaima returned to Bahrain from self-imposed exile in the UK.
Ibrahim Sharif, the Sunni leader of the secular leftist group Waad, was sentenced to five years. Waad had joined the largest Shia opposition group Wefaq in calling for political reforms.
Said Abdulnabi Shihab was also sentenced to life in absentia. Six other defendants who are abroad and being tried in absentia were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Authorities claimed the activists had sought to overthrow Bahrain's Sunni monarchy and had links to "a terrorist organisation abroad".
Witnesses say demonstrators made roadblocks with sand and debris, and called for marches to oppose the trial. No violence was reported.
"We've seen today, since early in morning, that lots of protesters have blocked the highways and roads," Rajab said.
Demonstrations continue
On Tuesday night, several villages had demonstrated in solidarity with the opposition leaders facing charges.
Residents and activists said small protests broke out in some areas to chants of "Down, down (King) Hamad", as police cars rushed to block the roads to the villages.
The government contests the opposition's estimate that some 400 people are on trial, saying the number is far smaller.
Some activists sent telephone text messages calling on followers to protest again on Wednesday to demand the release of the defendants and rejection of the government's dialogue offer.
Four people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in prison over the killing of two policemen. Nine others were jailed for 20 years after being convicted of abducting a policeman.
Authorities have said 24 people were killed during the month-long unrest, most of them demonstrators.
Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, invited Saudi and other Gulf troops in mid-March to help crush pro-democracy protests.
Eight prominent activists accused of plotting a coup in Bahrain during protests earlier this year have been sentenced to life in prison, according to the country's state news agency.
The court on Wednesday also sentenced other defendants, from among the 21 suspects on trial, to between two and 15 years in jail.
The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace and five others.
Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that many people were unhappy about the sentences.
"Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human rights activist in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said.
"Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days, and hundreds more are waiting to be tried."
Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that Abdulhady al-Khawaja's daughter Zainab, was present in court when he was sentenced and stood up and chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greater).
She was violently removed from court and arrested. She was later released after being charged with contempt of court and made to sign a pledge.
Alleged coup plot
Al-Singace, who was released in February after six months in jail, was also sentenced to life.
Nine of the defendants had been in custody on similar charges in the past before being set free under a royal pardon in February aimed at calming protests in the kingdom. Following the pardon, Mushaima returned to Bahrain from self-imposed exile in the UK.
Ibrahim Sharif, the Sunni leader of the secular leftist group Waad, was sentenced to five years. Waad had joined the largest Shia opposition group Wefaq in calling for political reforms.
Said Abdulnabi Shihab was also sentenced to life in absentia. Six other defendants who are abroad and being tried in absentia were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Authorities claimed the activists had sought to overthrow Bahrain's Sunni monarchy and had links to "a terrorist organisation abroad".
Witnesses say demonstrators made roadblocks with sand and debris, and called for marches to oppose the trial. No violence was reported.
"We've seen today, since early in morning, that lots of protesters have blocked the highways and roads," Rajab said.
Demonstrations continue
On Tuesday night, several villages had demonstrated in solidarity with the opposition leaders facing charges.
Residents and activists said small protests broke out in some areas to chants of "Down, down (King) Hamad", as police cars rushed to block the roads to the villages.
The government contests the opposition's estimate that some 400 people are on trial, saying the number is far smaller.
Some activists sent telephone text messages calling on followers to protest again on Wednesday to demand the release of the defendants and rejection of the government's dialogue offer.
Four people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in prison over the killing of two policemen. Nine others were jailed for 20 years after being convicted of abducting a policeman.
Authorities have said 24 people were killed during the month-long unrest, most of them demonstrators.
Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, invited Saudi and other Gulf troops in mid-March to help crush pro-democracy protests.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.