Bahraini Court upholds death sentences against activists

Bahrain’s supreme court of appeal upheld death sentences against two anti-regime activists.

Bahrain’s supreme court of appeal upheld death sentences against two anti-regime activists.

On Sunday, the defendants, identified as Zuhair Ibrahim Jassem and Mohammad Mahdi, were sentenced to death by the Court of Cassation, after the court relied on statements extracted under torture, the Arabic-language Lualua television network reported.

Amnesty International has called on its advocates to appeal to Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa over the cases of two death row inmates, who are at the risk of execution.

The London-based rights group urged the monarch “not to ratify the death sentences imposed on the two men and ensure they are not executed.”

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifa regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.