Blaze defendants sentenced to 15 years in jail

Manama, Nov. 19 (BNA): The Chief of Terror Crime Prosecution, Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi said the First Grand Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced six suspects in the case of setting the JidHafs Municipality building ablaze to 15 years in jail each. The case dates to October 15 last year, when the suspects gathered at JidHafs Municipality building. The first, second and third suspects stormed the building and poured gasoline on the ground and upper floors, while the fourth suspect poured the same substance onto the building from outside. The first suspect ignited the fire and the fifth suspect and another unidentified suspect stood vigil while it was on fire. The sixth suspect consensually joined through instigation in committing the crime. He incited the first suspect to commit the crime and deliberately joined the other suspects. The Criminal Investigations Department carried out serious and intensive investigations, pinpointed, arrested them and referred the said suspects to the public prosecution according to applicable legal procedures. The Public Prosecution proved the crime was committed based on verbal testimony, the testimonies of the witnesses, technical evidence, criminal reports, and the forensic laboratory report related to the examination of the suspects' clothes during the incident and which proved to contain highly flammable gasoline in addition to the municipality's CCTV camera footage. The suspects were referred to the first Grand Criminal Court which deliberated the case in the presence of the suspects' attorneys and enabled them to express their legal defense as all legal assurances provided to them. The suspects have the right to appeal the sentence at the Court of Appeal within the duration prescribed by law. The Bahraini judicial system allows appeals at the Court of Cassation as one of the legal assurances given to defendants following the appeal at the Court of Appeals.