Bahrain’s Revolutionary Future

Bahrain:Military court sentences a child for two year imprisonment, without the presence of a lawyer, and allegations of ill-treatment – June 13th, 2011

On June 7th 2011, the court sentenced the child Mohammed Salman Majid Hassan (15 years old) to serve a two year imprisonment.

Mohammed was arrested on the 6th April 2011, and the court charged him with taking part in illegal protests and disrupting public security and rioting.

The court held two hearings for Mohammed:

The first hearing: He was not allowed to inform his family or the lawyer.

The second hearing: Mohammed called his family for the first time since his arrest, to request a lawyer, however his parents could not provide a lawyer in this short notice, and he only met his family for the first time in the court.

“Mohammed was subjected to ill-treatment during the first days of his arrest” Mohammed’s family stated to the BYSHR.

“We searched for a long time until we found a lawyer who is willing to file an appeal for the ruling tomorrow (14th June 2011)”, Mohammed’s family informed the BYSHR.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the trial of children, without legal assistance or allowing them to contact their families, and considers that the child Mohammed was subjected to an unfair trial; especially that he was tried before a military court. The BYSHR calls for the Special Rapporteur of Independence of the judiciary to take urgent actions. …source