The Public Prosecution in Bahrain has accused five individuals, four of whom remain detained, of politically motivated charges for participating in a solidarity protest with Palestine on February 14, 2024, violating their freedom of assembly.
Activist Ali Al-Haji, in a post on the platform “X” today, Friday, June 7, 2024, stated that the Bahrain Criminal Court is set to issue the final verdict against the five youths in three days. The accused are Jaafar Taqi Al-Halwaji, Ammar Saleh Hassan, Muntadhar Mohammed Mohsen, Ali Mohammed Mohsen, and Ali Ahmed Jassim Nassif.
Al-Haji explained that “the authorities arbitrarily arrested the five individuals without judicial warrants in the Al-Daih area in western Manama after their participation in a peaceful protest condemning the genocide in Gaza,” noting that “security forces, who surrounded the protest area and all entrances to the village, chased the peaceful protesters and arrested the mentioned individuals.”
He added that “the authorities released Nassif (71 years old) the day after the arrest, while the other four remain detained under investigation on charges related to illegal assembly and assault on a public employee.”
He revealed that “Al-Halwaji reported being subjected to mistreatment and physical assault at the time of his arrest by officials in civilian clothes, despite his compliance and lack of resistance. He said he was interrogated without a lawyer present at the Al-Qudaibiya Security Center and could not contact his family.”
On April 29, 2024, the four detainees attended a hearing on charges of “participation in a protest,” where “at least five people gather with the intent to commit crimes or undermine public security,” and “assault on a civilian or public employee during or because of the performance of their duties or provision of services.”
He highlighted that “the Public Prosecution sought to enhance the penalty against them using Article 79 of the Penal Code, and if convicted, they could face more than five years in prison.”
source: lualuatv + bahrainmirror
