Monday, January 07, 2013
Bahrain's top court upholds sentences against uprising leaders - lawyer
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain's highest court upheld sentences against 13 leaders of a 2011 uprising on Monday, a defence lawyer said, in a ruling that could further fuel unrest in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state.
Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, has been in political turmoil since a protest movement dominated by majority Shi'ite Muslims erupted in February 2011 during a wave of revolts against governments across the Arab world.
Leader of the Shi'ite Haq movement Hassan Mushaimaa speaks to the media during a news conference held in Pearl Square in the Bahraini capital of Manama February 27, 2011. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed |
The sentences, originally handed down by a military court in 2011 and upheld by a civilian court in September last year, range from five years in prison to life sentences.
"This verdict is final, there are no more appeals possible, it is the last stage of litigation," lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi told Reuters by telephone from Manama.
Twenty uprising leaders had been sentenced, but only 13 filed appeals. Some had been tried in absentia because they were out of the country or in hiding, Jishi said.
The men who received life sentences included rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and opposition leader Hassan Mushaimaa, who has advocated turning the kingdom of Bahrain into a republic.
(Reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Pravin Char)
- Drizzle fails to dampen Citrawarna 1Malaysia launch
- Najib: Change must be based on rule of law not the street
- Anwar: Conditions in Jusuf Kalla's polls pact not met
- Anwar Ibrahim says GLC posts not for PKR politicians
- Home Ministry to work with MCMC, MCS to monitor unlawful social media content
- Big crowd at Pakatan rally at Dataran PJ (Live Updates)
- PKR rejects Najib's 'insincere' call for reconciliation, says Saifuddin
- Saiful Bukhari is now a married man
- NGOs stage protest against Perak DAP's Ngeh
- Police to appeal rejection of trio's remand, says Zahid
- MCMC: Suspect who allegedly insulted Sultan of T’ganu on Facebook detained
- Single-party BN is 'new wine in an old bottle', says Chow
- PKR members should get top GLC roles, says Suhaimi
- Rela member in coma after being hit by escaping motorcyclist
- Blackmail victim reaches end of tether
- Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world
- Chinese premier criticizes EU move on trade measures
- Justice Department opposes AMR's $20 million severance for CEO Horton
- News Corp to take charge of up to $1.4 billion this quarter
- Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors look for signs in the rally's break
- Unhappy with how your fave series is faring? Amazon gives you a say
- Visa, Mastercard ask U.S. court to declare card fees are lawful
- Wall Street posts first weekly loss since mid-April on Fed angst
- IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
- Politics of development pays dividend
- A thematic play seen
- Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
- Getting GST acceptance will be tough
- A yen for the unloved dollar standard
- Bitten by the music bug
- Rosberg on pole for Monaco Grand Prix
- South Korea in seventh heaven
- Make betting legal, says top Indian body
- NBA: Pacers edge Heat to even series
- Arat: Istanbul bid to host the 2020 Olympic is about building bridges
- Golf: Two share lead at inaugural rain-hit Pure Silk LPGA
- Golf: Kuchar leads weather-hit Colonial
- Squash: Matthew offers a message with a warning
- Golf: Molinari leads but Ryder Cup colleagues crash out
- Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight
- MSSM meet: 15 records in five days augur well for M’sian athletics
- Indonesian Rexy's advise to M'sian team: Stick together as a family
- Yongbo: Beat us if you can, not good for China to win all the time
- Thai Ratchanok wins many hearts with her gritty display
- Squash:M'sian Nicol beats New Zealander in straight sets to reach last four
- Big crowd at Pakatan rally at Dataran PJ (Live Updates)
- Chua: Cops right to act against those inciting racial hatred
- Robber shot dead after picking on wrong ‘victim’
- Painting of merry old couple covered up to prevent accident at Chew Jetty
- Malaysia a favourite of Muslim travellers
- Saiful Bukhari is now a married man
- Trio walk free after court turns down remand request
- PKR members should get top GLC roles, says Suhaimi
- DPM: Turning BN into a single party must be evaluated in detail
- EC: Blackout photo is a fake
- Malaysia a favourite of Muslim travellers
- Living through your midlife
- Who has the better chance of bagging that high-salary post?
- Big crowd at Pakatan rally at Dataran PJ (Live Updates)
- Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
- Klang Valley a haven for UOA Dev
- More can be done to promote private retirement scheme
- Painting of merry old couple covered up to prevent accident at Chew Jetty
- Saiful Bukhari is now a married man
- Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world

