21 Bahraini Protesters Sentenced to 315 Years in Prison
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Bahraini regime sentenced 21 protesters to 15 years in prison each, as it continues its heavy-handed crackdown on political dissent.
Last month, 46 Bahraini dissidents were also given heavy prison sentences. Two were children who received 3-year sentences.
Human Rights Watch has recently described the Bahraini judiciary as having an “injustice system”, for criminalizing dissent and entrenching impunity, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the country’s main opposition group, said on its official website on Wednesday.
Al Wefaq said the Bahraini judiciary is a tool for political-retaliation in the hands of the Authority to punish dissidents for calling for democratic transition in the country.
The lengthy sentences come in conjunction with acquittals of police officers and troops who killed protesters in the brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests since 14 February 2011.
Many prisoners continue to complain of torture and assault during arrest and interrogation to coerce them into confessing to fake accusations. Bahrain was condemned by 47 states in the UN Human Rights Council for its appalling human rights situation.