[The following statement was issued by Amnesty International on 15 October 2012.]
On 21 October an appeal court upheld the guilty verdict against Mahdi and Jalila but reduced their prison sentences to five years and six months respectively.
They were arrested in 2011 after calling for a teachers strike in support of protesters’ calls for reform in Bahrain. Whilst in detention they were held in solitary confinement, where they say they were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and forced to sign “confessions.”
They were initially tried before a military court and convicted of, among other things, attempting to overthrow the ruling system by force and inciting hatred of the regime. Amnesty International believes neither or them used or advocated violence and is not aware that any such evidence was presented during their trials.
We need you to continue putting pressure on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mahdi, as a prisoner of conscience, and ensure that Jalila does not serve any of her remaining sentence. In the face of injustice and repression they need your support now.
[Click here to sign the electronic petition.]