Bahraini Protestor speaks during a rally in central Manama early on July 30, 2013, to collect signatures to support " Bahrain Rebellion " a call going around Bahrain for a mass demonstration on August 14.
DUBAI: H M King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain has decreed stiffer penalties for “terror acts” in the country rocked by a Shia-led uprising since 2011, the official Bahrain News Agency said yesterday.
Under a new law, suspects convicted for bomb attacks will be sentenced to life imprisonment or death in cases of casualties. The minimum penalty for an attempted bombing is 10 years in jail. The crimes previously carried unspecified jail terms.
Suspects found guilty of “raising money for a terrorist organisation” will be handed jail terms ranging from 10 years to life.
Authorities will have powers to revoke the citizenship of anyone found guilty of committing or inciting terrorism. Tensions have been on the rise ahead of a major opposition demonstration in mid-August. Authorities have decided to ban the protest and threatened to severely punish participants.
On Monday, the King ordered the government to implement a parliamentary call for tough measures against what authorities term an upsurge in “terrorism” linked to protests. At a special session requested by the king during a parliamentary recess, MPs also recommended “a ban on gatherings and rallies” in the capital Manama and called for emergency law to be declared if needed.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, warned that the adoption of the amendments would “lead to further violations of Bahrain’s international human rights obligations.” The opposition has condemned the language used in the parliamentary debate as a “declaration of war on the people, as well as open threats and insults to beliefs”. Opposition groups insisted that the people’s actions remain “peaceful”, denouncing “propaganda to promote a security solution... which violates international conventions”.
Agencies
