Four youths sentenced to seven years in riot case

Manama : The High Criminal Court has sentenced four defendants to seven years behind bars for rioting.

Aged between 20 and 29, the defendants were said to have been among the masked protesters, who rioted on January 13 in Ma’ameer.

They reportedly pelted firebombs and iron rods as well as stones at police patrols stationed in the area.

Their involvement in the incident was established in police investigation.

They had been charged with putting lives and property in danger, possessing firebombs, disrupting traffic and participating in an illegal gathering. The first defendant told prosecutors that he had joined the rioters after seeing an Instagram message. It stated that men were planning to riot in the event of the execution of controversial religious figure Nimr Al Nimr in Saudi.

The post also urged others to join them.