Top Bahraini court upholds activist death sentence

Bahrain’s supreme court of appeals upheld a death sentence against a Shia anti-regime activist as the ruling Al Khalifa regime presses ahead with its heavy clampdown on political dissidents and pro-democracy activists in the kingdom.

On Monday, the Court of Cassation found defendant Hussein Marzouq guilty of involvement in the 2016 bombing in the eastern village of Sitra, located five kilometers south of the capital Manama, which targeted regime forces, according to Press TV.

Bahraini authorities said at the time that a woman lost her life and her three children sustained injuries in the incident. The court also handed down a life sentence to the second defendant and gave lengthy jail terms to six others. All eight had their Bahraini citizenship revoked as well.

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.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3 last year.