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Bahrain's Wefaq Demands Military Courts Closure

Bahrain's main Shiite opposition party, Al-Wefaq, on Tuesday demanded the closure of military courts set up during a protest crackdown and condemned an attack on the home of its leader.

In a statement received by Agence France Presse, Wefaq demanded the "closure of military tribunals and the repeal of all their verdicts, the release of all political prisoners and the start of real political reforms" in the Gulf kingdom.

Wefaq, which took part in a national dialogue in July before pulling out, reiterated its demand for an elected government and elected assembly with full powers.

The party also condemned an attack on Tuesday by "security forces" on the residence of its leader, cleric Sheikh Ali Salman, in a Shiite part of the capital Manama, damaging his car and surveillance cameras.

Two days earlier, the same residence was shot at with rubber bullets and tear gas, it added, while also lamenting a rise in night attacks that have injured people in several parts of Bahrain.

Tensions persist in the Sunni-ruled Shiite-majority nation more than five months after security forces crushed Shiite-led democracy protests inspired by uprisings that toppled the autocratic presidents of Tunisia and Egypt.

Meanwhile, Bahraini authorities said that King Hamad pardoned poet Ayat al-Qarmezi, along with "all those who abused him and other senior Bahraini officials during unrest earlier this year."

The pardon was issued in a speech by the king marking the end of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting, the Information Affairs Authority said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, the U.N. rights chief warned that the situation in Bahrain remains "tense and unpredictable," with small protests still being repressed and hundreds of cases involving demonstrators pending trial.

"We understand that the situation in Bahrain remains tense and unpredictable," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"We continue to receive reports of the repression of small protests and understand that at least 264 cases involving protestors remain pending before the courts, many of whom may be tried in the Court of National Safety, which is effectively a military court," he added.

Created in mid-March, the court is headed by a military judge and counts two civilian judges, all of whom are appointed by the Bahraini defense force's commander in chief, noted Colville.

The spokesman stressed that civilians must be tried in civilian courts, charged with a recognizable crime, and given access to lawyers and time to prepare their defense.

However, he noted that some detainees were still "desperately calling their families to appoint lawyers a day before trial."

"Clearly major problems with due process," he said.

"We are concerned that most of the defendants in these cases may be prisoners of conscience, detained only for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association. All such detainees must be released," said the spokesman.

He also called on the Bahraini government to release the list of names of those arrested since March 15, as well as details on where they were being held and the charges and status of their trials.

So far, about 124 cases have received verdicts, including two death sentences. Of these cases, 16 were acquitted completely, while seven others were partially acquitted, said Colville.

Source: Agence France Presse


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