Cassation Court rejects appeal over murder, attempted murder

Manama, Nov. 16 (BNA): Bahrain’s Advocate General Nayif Yousif today confirmed that the Court of Cassation had rejected the appeal cases of twelve individuals who were found guilty of the murder of a police officer and the attempted murder of several other police officers. The appeal cases related to the premeditated murder of police officer Abdulwahid Sayid Mohammed Faqeer, which occurred on 14 February 2014 in Bahrain’s Al-Dair area. The Public Prosecution’s comprehensive investigations, which included crime scene forensic evidence, mobile phone evidence, and witness testimonies, found that the defendants had lured security personnel to the Al-Dair area, where a remote Improvised Explosive Device (IED) had been planted. The explosive device had detonated upon security forces’ arrival, and had killed Abdulwahid Sayid Mohammed Faqeer and injured several others. Two of the defendants were found guilty of planting and detonating the explosive device, with ten others convicted of obtaining and manufacturing explosive devices with the intent to use them in terrorist attacks. Advocate General Nayif Yousif confirmed that the Court of Cassation had upheld the Higher Criminal Court’s and the Court of Appeal’s decisions to sentence two of the individuals to death, in light of the calculated and carefully planned manner in which Abdulwahid Sayid Mohammed Faqeer was murdered. The Court of Cassation had also upheld the length of the prison sentences handed down to the other appellants. The Advocate General confirmed that the defendants had been provided with access to their legal representatives and all relevant evidence at every stage of their trial and appeal processes.