King of Bahrain pardons persons convicted of riot acts

The King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, yesterday issued a decree pardoning 21 convicted persons who took part in acts of riots that took place during the recent new year in the capital Manama.

The Bahraini official news agency said that the King received the youths who were governed by the pardoning yesterday together with their fathers and he was quoted his asserting to pardoning those youths and "allow them the chance to return back to the rightful path." The court had issued imprisonment sentences ranging between two to one year for a group of youths who were accused of taking part in these acts of riots.

According to the ministry of the interior in Bahrain, some 55 persons were arrested and accused of being involved in these incidents which resulted in wounding 17 persons, three of them are police members. Some 135 cars were damaged and the fronts of 7 hotels and 2 restaurants.