20200617_Bahrain
Image Credit: Supplied

Abu Dhabi: Bahrain’s Cassation Court has upheld the death sentence to a defendant who was found guilty of setting up a terrorist group, which carried out several terrorist operations, including killing policeman Salman Anjam.

Anjam was in a police vehicle when a nearby bomb blast ripped through it.

Bahrain’s High Criminal Court sentenced a defendant to death for killing a police officer in 2015.

The High Criminal Court also sentenced 13 defendants to life in prison and others to jail terms between three and 15 years while it acquitted six suspects.

The court ordered the revocation of the citizenship of 25 defendants.

The 32 suspects were identified soon after the killing of the police officer in the twin blast on August 28, 2015 that also injured several officers and civilians and damaged police cars in Abu Saiba, west of the capital Manama.

They were charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, forming a terror group, causing blasts, possessing explosives and incendiary devices, vandalising property belonging to the Ministry of Interior and rioting.

The Public Prosecution said that it based its case on testimonies from public order officers, civilian witnesses, the confessions of the suspects and investigation and technical reports.

Under Bahrain’s laws, the defendants have the right to challenge the rulings at the Court of Appeals and subsequently at the Cassation Court, the highest court in the country. Its rulings are final and cannot be challenged.