High Appeals Court rules in terror group case

Manama, Jan. 28 (BNA): The High Court of Appeals today rejected the appeal of two defendants in the case of the so-called "Dhulfiqar Brigades" terror group formation, Terror Crime Chief Prosecutor Ahmed Al Hammadi said. The defendants were charged with the unlawful formation of a terrorist group while aware of its terrorist purposes to kill police officers. They imported, handled and detonated explosives devices, weapons and ammunition and robbed at gunpoint. They attacked law enforcement officers to prevent them from protecting the community against acts of terrorism. They violently resisted arrest, escaped from prison and helped others escape. On January 1, 2017, ten fugitives escaped from Jau Prison, killing one officer. The defendants were also charged with harbouring fugitive convicts. The court accepted the appeal of two defendants in form and unanimously rejected their appeal in substance and upheld the sentence. The court also accepted the appeal of 34 other defendants in form and commuted the penalty for four defendants to three years. The court rejected the other appeals. On January 31, 2018, the Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced two defendants to death, 19 to life in prison, 17 to 15 years, nine to 10 years, and 11 to five years.