Bahrain jails 26 Shiite protesters up to 15 years

Bahraini court jailed 26 Shiites for three cases involving the alleged kidnapping of policemen.

A Bahraini court today jailed 26 Shiites for lengthy terms in three cases involving the alleged kidnapping of policemen and calls to overthrow the regime during a month of protests,the chief military prosecutor said.

The National Safety Court,set up specially by the Sunni-ruled kingdom after Shiite-led pro-reform protests were crushed in March,sentenced nine defendants to 15 years for allegedly kidnapping policeman Mohammed Falah.

The nine had used “force against him and threatened him with serious harm,” said the prosecutor,Colonel Yusof Fleifal,as quoted by the official BNA news agency.

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Among those listed was cleric Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad,who was also convicted of inciting attacks on policemen in sermons delivered at Pearl Square,the focal point of the protests against the Al-Khalifa dynasty.

The same court acquitted three others,BNA said,while another was referred to a civil court.

In another case,four defendants,including Muqdad,were jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of kidnapping policeman Saifullah Ibrahim and taking him to Pearl Square,”parading him in front of people gathering there and then to Salmaniya Medical Complex to incarcerate him,” BNA said.

Some of the defendants also took part in “gatherings held with the intent of committing crimes and disturbing security,” it added.

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In the third case,six defendants were jailed for 10 years and eight others to five years on charges including “calling to overthrow the political system using force and illegal means” as well as “holding assemblies and illegal demonstrations… and going on strike.”