DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rights groups
on Monday appealed to Bahrain’s
King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa to commute death
sentences of 26 men and take steps to end capital punishment in the Gulf
nation.
اضافة اعلان
Human Rights Watch and the Bahrain Institute for
Rights and Democracy on Monday said the men, who include those convicted on
“terrorism” charges as well as for drugs, can be executed as soon as the king
ratifies their sentences.
“King Hamad should commute all outstanding death
sentences, starting with defendants convicted on the basis of allegedly coerced
confessions and those who have been sentenced to death for other than the most
serious crimes,” a joint report read.
Bahrain should also “take steps to formally end the
application of the death penalty in all circumstances”, it added.
Bahrain has
executed six people since 2017, when it carried out the first execution in
seven years.
Some of those were convicted following a 2011
uprising put down with Saudi military support.
After the unrest,
Bahrain outlawed opposition
parties and arrested activists, sparking international criticism. Hundreds were
imprisoned, and some people were stripped of their citizenship.
Manama, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has claimed neighbor
Iran trains perpetrators and Shiite armed groups in order to topple the
Sunni-led government — an accusation Tehran denies.
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