[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 24



BAHRAIN:

Bahrain Reverses Death Sentence Against 2 Citizens



Bahrain's Court of Cassation accepted the verdict in form and turned down the 
appealed death penalty in substance against defendants Hussain Ali Moussa and 
Mohammed Ramadan Essa.

It also returned the case for reconsideration by the issuing court to be 
constituted from another jury to issue a new ruling, Advocate General and Head 
of Technical Office at the Public Prosecution Haroon al-Zayani said.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) submitted a memorandum to the Public 
Prosecution regarding its investigations in both complaints lodged by the two 
convicts, who were sentenced to death for killing a policeman and attempting to 
murder several others by detonating a bomb.

SIU suggested in its memorandum the possibility of reconsidering the sentence 
against the convicts on the basis of new reports that were issued in the course 
of its investigation and which were neither submitted to the two degrees of 
litigation courts nor to the Cassation Court.

The verdict was based on various pieces of evidence in addition to one derived 
from the defendants’ statements that included technical evidence proving that 
the suspects exchanged mobile text messages, indicating that they agreed and 
coordinated to commit the crime.

Based on SIU's memorandum and the presentation by Acting Head of the SIU and to 
achieve the required justice, the Public Prosecution agreed with the memorandum 
and referred the matter to the Minister of Justice for initial reconsideration 
by the SIU and reconsideration of the said verdict according to his 
jurisdiction stipulated in the Court of Cassation Law.

The Ministry of Justice took the initiative to review the matter and requested 
the President of the Court of Cassation to reconsider the verdicts against both 
convicts in light of conclusions of the SIU and the discovery of new reports.

This decision was a result of its conclusions after the study and reliant upon 
the provision of the Cassation Court Law, which permits the Minister of Justice 
to request a reconsideration of final penalizing verdicts issued in specific 
cases.

The Court of Cassation, therefore, considered the request and issued its 
aforesaid ruling by accepting the request, reversing the verdict against both 
convicts and referring back the case to the issuing court to obtain a new 
ruling by another jury.

(source: aawssat.com)