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FOUR men have been jailed for attacking policemen with Molotov cocktails, which they made after watching tutorial videos on YouTube.
The Bahrainis were found guilty of possessing and using incendiary materials, arson and assaulting policemen by the High Criminal Court.
Two of the defendants, who made the Molotovs, have been sentenced to three years in prison.
A third defendant was sentenced to one year, while the fourth received a six-month sentence because he was the only one without a rioting-related case on his record.
The men threw explosives on police vehicles stationed near a school in East Eker on January 9 this year.
According to court documents, the defendants plotted the attack while they met at Ma’ameer Walkway.
“They went to a cold store nearby and bought glass bottles, rolls of multi-coloured tape and steel wool,” the court said.
“They drove to Nuwaidrat to acquire petrol which they stored in a motor oil container.
“Using the juice cans and other glass bottles found on the ground, the first and second defendants followed techniques they learned on YouTube to make Molotov cocktails.”
The men drove to East Eker and threw the incendiary materials on police cars stationed near a school, before they fled. Only two of the six Molotovs hit the target.
The defendants were identified from fingerprints on the glass bottles.
“Initially, the first defendant admitted the charges to the Public Prosecution,” said documents.
“But later, he walked back on his statement saying that he mistakenly spoke about the details of his past case due to post-Covid-19 confusion.
“As for the second accused, defence counsel argued that he could not have committed the crime as his mobility was affected by an injury he suffered in an accident just two weeks prior.”
Reports from Sitra Health Centre were examined by the medical committee, but the evidence presented was ultimately considered insufficient to acquit him of the charges.
zainab@gdn.com.bh
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