Hawzah News Agency- On Sunday, a Bahraini court is set to hand down judgments to 69 defendants, among them 60 clerics, on charges of membership of a terrorist group, attempting to overthrow the "constitutional regime" and trying to promote Iran's political ideology.
According to testimony obtained by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), the defendents were subjected to a range of abuses, including forced standing, prolonged blindfolding and handcuffing, sleep deprivation, and threats of physical and sexual violence against them and their families.
Twenty rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called on the authorities to release those arbitrarily detained and drop charges based on peaceful religious activities, and to investigate allegations of mistreatment and torture.
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at Bird, described the trial as an "attack on the faith and identity of Bahrain’s Shia community" and one of the "ugliest forms of persecution" meted out by the state since 2011.
"When allegations of torture are brushed aside and defendants are denied a meaningful opportunity to challenge the evidence against them, the judiciary becomes an instrument of persecution," he said in a statement.
"This mockery of justice must end. It will leave lasting wounds and deepen divisions across the country."
Source: MIDDLE EAST EYE
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