COVID-19: Man jailed for one year in Bahrain for failing to wear facemask, defaming police
Has been ordered to pay a fine of BD1,000
Cairo: A Bahraini court has sentenced a man to one year in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of 1,000 dinars after convicting him of refusing to wear a facemask and insulting a policeman, a prosecution official has said.
The verdict was issued by the Minor Criminal Court in Al Muharraq in northern Bahrain.
The case is related to the defendant’s failure to wear the mandatory face mask while sitting with his friends in a public place as part of precautions to stem the spread of COVID-19.
When a policeman was jotting down a violation, meriting a fine penalty, the offender insulted him and refused to pay the fine, Al Bilad newspaper reported. He bragged about his behaviour on social media.
“Public prosecution, on its behalf on society in filing lawsuits and being concerned with guaranteeing its security and stability, will stand firm within the framework of the law against anyone who does not comply with laws under current circumstances that require everyone to support the state institutions in their efforts in confronting the pandemic,” chief of prosecution in the area of Al Muharraq Abdullah Al Zawadi said.
Bahrain so far has registered a total of 81,022 virus cases and 317 fatalities due to COVID-19.