Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa on Sunday reiterated that the ongoing trials, in connection with the recent unrest in Bahrain, are taking place at special courts and not at military courts.
He pointed out that the royal decree which declared the State of National Safety in Bahrain had determined the nature of these courts which are totally different from military ones.
Clarifying the issue, he said, these special courts consist of two civilian judges and only one military judge stressing fairness of the judiciary in Bahrain which allow the suspects to appeal the verdicts, contrary to military courts in some countries.
“Legal procedures followed by concerned sides warrant the suspects’ rights,” he said in an interview with Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
“The State of National Safety can never deny any person’s right for a just trial or an evidence of his innocence as long as he is not proved guilty with a final verdict,” he added.
“Attending the court hearings is authorised for all civil society institutions, human rights organizations and mass media representatives. We don’t have anything to conceal from supervisors, the public opinion and NGOs,” Shaikh Khalid asserted.
“Bahrain is keen to honour its international obligations and respect human rights covenants,” he said.
Replying to a question on the aim of establishing of the National Safety Court in Bahrain, which is unfamiliar in other countries, the Justice Minister explained that the move was in accordance to the royal decree number 18 for 2011, which declared the State of National Safety on March 16, to enforce the law during the exceptional adverse circumstances that engulfed Bahrain and led to many crimes.
“The aim is also to achieve justice and safeguard the suspects’ rights,” he emphasized rejecting allegations that such courts are military.
On the difference between the National Safety Courts and the State of Emergency Courts which could be set up in similar circumstances in other countries, Shaikh Khalid said that while the latter depends on the nature of the state of emergency which has been declared, the former guarantees all legal rights of the suspect, including defence. “In case the lawyer has not been appointed by the suspect, the National Safety Court has to commission one to defend the suspect mainly in criminal cases,” he revealed.
He also pointed out the suspect’s right to appeal the verdict, a characteristic of the National Safety Court which does not exist in similar courts in the world.
“Since the trials aim to ensure the rule of law and achieve justice, using the right to appeal lower courts’ verdicts seeks to safeguard the suspects’ rights and provide enough time for the defence to submit their documents which could work in favour of the suspects to acquit them,” Shaikh Khalid asserted.
“Bahrain has signed many international agreements pertaining to human rights, including provisions guaranteeing the suspects’ rights in any case,” he said affirming that all detainees have all their rights safeguarded by the Bahraini judiciary. “Something which is obvious to anyone following up on what is going on in Bahrain,” he said.