The first Lower National Safety Court On Thursday heard a number of criminal cases, the Military Prosecutor in a statement posted by the BNA said.
In the first case, fifteen suspects stood trial again over charges of murdering the Pakistani national Abdulla Malik Abdulla, protesting illegally for criminal ends and disrupting public security.
During the session, one suspect pleaded not guilty and then ten defence witnesses delivered their testimonies, but the court refused that of the 10th because it was “offpoint”.
A Forensic expert was also asked to deliver his testimony during the hearing, as requested by the defence team.
During the next session, set to June 16, the final pleadings will be presented and one of the suspect’s defence witness will be summoned. The forensic expert was also asked to attend the hearing to answer any queries.
The second case, in which 13 persons were accused of kidnapping a person and protesting for terrorist ends, was also adjourned to same date in order to allow lawyers to study the case documents.
Seven other defendants, facing charges of kidnapping policeman Seifullah Mohammed, stealing and protesting illegally, will have to hire lawyers or have ones appointed for them when they stand trial again next June 15.
The court adjourned the fourth case, in which six people were accused of attempted murder and taking part in illegal gatherings, to June 16 in order to allow defence lawyers to study the case documents.
The University of Bahrain (UoB) case, in which seven people were accused of setting fire to UoB building, attempted murder, spoiling UoB buildings, holding Molotov cocktails and attacking people, was also heard.
During the hearing, two student witnesses, summoned at the request of the defence team, delivered their testimonies in which they asserted that they and many other students were attacked by a group of protestors.
They also said that between 40 and 50 students were asked to take refuge at “S 20” building to avert being hurt by violent demonstrators.
They also indicated that the same building was destroyed and burnt by the protestors.
Other evidence witnesses will deliver their testimonies during the next hearing scheduled to June 13.
Present were Atiyatollah Rohani from the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Mohammed Al Sumaikh and Abdulla Al Dirazi from the Bahrain Human Rights Society, as well as some relatives of the defendants and the victims.