Lawyers representing seven defendants accused of ‘expressing sympathy with the Iranian aggression against Bahrain’ through social media posts have urged the High Criminal Court to acquit them, citing the ‘unprecedented circumstances’ the country is currently facing.
During yesterday’s hearing, attorneys across three separate cases argued that their clients had no intention of causing harm or undermining national security.
One lawyer also appealed for leniency, explaining that the defendant was unaware of the regulations related to filming as the guidelines were issued by the Interior Ministry only after the posts in question had already been published.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of a Bahraini man, described as a Works Ministry employee, claimed that his client was just ‘caught in the crossfire’ and had nothing to do with filming the actual video.
“The defendant heads a department at the ministry, and he responded to a report of a chlorine gas leak in an area where several individuals happened to be filming,” he said.
“He went of his own volition to inspect the site and verify the report, and was inadvertently captured in the video. He did not record any footage himself, nor did he express support for the Iranian attacks. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The lawyer of a teenager accused of illegally filming a military site also appealed to the judges for leniency, citing his young age and insisting that his actions were driven by naivety rather than ill intent.
“At just 16 years old, he is only a teenager,” the attorney said.
“This behaviour is not reflective of his character, but we are living in unprecedented times that have led to unprecedented actions.
“On February 28, everyone in Bahrain was filming the attacks, as this was before the Interior Ministry issued its instructions to stop. He was simply one of many – a teenager doing what countless others in Bahrain and on social media were doing.”
Last week, the teenager admitted to the charges against him at the first hearing, stating that he ‘didn’t mean to harm anyone’ and filmed the incident ‘spontaneously’.
Lawyers representing the remaining five defendants also sought acquittals, arguing that footage recorded before the authorities issued their instructions should not be subject to punishment. They also claimed that ‘none of the videos were created with any harmful intent’.
In the next session, expected to be held next week, a number of witnesses, including officers who made the arrest and investigators are expected to give their testimonies.
Last week, the first hearing was held outside the High Criminal Court’s usual Sunday-to-Tuesday schedule. At the expedited trial, a Public Prosecution representative asked judges to impose the maximum penalty on all defendants, giving short speeches at every case to emphasise his argument.
They argued that the content of the videos allegedly ‘supports the enemy’ and harms security and public order.
The General Directorate of Anti-Corruption, Economic and Electronic Security previously issued an advisory on March 10, warning the public against filming the Iranian attacks, noting that publishing any news, information, or images that may cause panic or undermine military preparedness is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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