Bahrain approves military trials for terrorism suspects

By Ahmed al-Masri

MANAMA (AA) - Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on Monday approved a constitutional amendment that would see terrorism suspects referred to military trials.

Last month, Bahrain’s parliament -- citing the need to combat terrorism and unrest -- approved a change to the national charter that would allow civilians to be tried by military courts.

Bahrain’s official BNA news agency reported that the king had “ratified and issued the constitutional amendment for the year 2017 after it was endorsed by the Shura [consultative] Council and the Council of Representatives”.

Justice Minister Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa, for his part, had told parliament earlier that the amendment was “essential”, as military judges were “best placed” to oversee trials pertaining to “irregular warfare”.

Bahrain was rocked by revolt in 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in the tiny Gulf state as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings.

The country’s Sunni-led government blames Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition group, for the upheaval, accusing the Shia movement of pursuing an "Iranian agenda".

Al-Wefaq, for its part, denies the allegations, saying it wants to see the establishment of a "constitutional government" in the small Gulf kingdom.