Bahrain: First executions in more than six years a shocking blow to human rights

In response to the execution today of three men accused of killing three police officers in Bahrain Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Campaigns in Beirut, Samah Hadid said:

“This is a dark day for human rights in Bahrain. These executions – the first to be carried out since 2010 - are a deeply regressive step for a country whose authorities’ have repeatedly trumpeted their commitment to human rights.

“The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and the fact that this execution was carried out after an unfair trial and despite claims from the men that they were tortured in custody makes this news even more shocking. Instead of stepping up executions Bahrain’s authorities should establish an immediate moratorium on executions and work on abolishing the death penalty once and for all.”

On 9 January Bahrain’s Court of Cassation in Bahrain upheld death sentences for Ali Abdulshaheed al-Sankis, Sami Mirza Mshaima’ and Abbas Jamil Taher Mhammad al-Samea. It also upheld life sentences against seven others and the revocation of the nationality of eight of them. All 10 men were convicted following an unfair trial in relation to the March 2014 killing of three policemen.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/01/bahrain-first-executions-in-more-than-six-years-a-shocking-blow-to-human-rights/

photo: link

The views expressed in this article are the author's opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ODVV.