Hawzah News Agency-The Public Prosecution had accused Sheikh al-Maatouk of circulating false information, and violating the national unity and mosque charter laws, in a speech he delivered during Friday prayers in the Imam Hussein Mosque. In his address, the religious scholar strongly criticized the state security forces for arresting many young Shiites, and torturing them to extract confessions over the case of "al-Abdali cell".

The Court of Appeal acquitted most of the Shiite youth in the "al-Abdali cell" case around 2 months ago. However, the court upheld two death sentences and one life sentence against three defendants.

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