Bahraini court of Appeal upholds sentences in drug case

The High Court of Appeal upheld today verdicts ranging from life and three years in prison ruled by the High Criminal Court on November 14, 2012 against six suspects accused of smuggling, possessing and trafficking in drugs.
They had been referred by the Public Prosecution to the High Criminal Court on charges of smuggling around 50 kilogrammes of drugs from Iran by sea using a GPS-equipped boat. The second and the third defendants were sentenced to lifetime in jail and fined BD 10,000 each while the fourth, fifth and sixth defendants were sentenced to ten years in prison and fined BD 5,000 each.
The first defendant was handed down a reduced sentence of three years in jail and BD 1,000 fine for possessing drugs with the intention to use them. He was acquitted of the smuggling charge in return for informing about his accomplices.
The defendants had appealed the sentences anew before the Cassation Court which ruled in a hearing on February 17 this year to re-try the suspects by a new High Court of Appeal panel.