The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Oman court frees 8 activists on bail — lawyer Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:53 AM PDT MUSCAT, March 18 — Oman's appeal court has freed on bail eight out of 11 jailed demonstrators pending a retrial ordered by the Supreme Court after they staged a hunger strike against their imprisonment, their lawyer said today. The men, convicted of forming an illegal gathering, were jailed last year in a security crackdown after protests in the Gulf Arab sultanate inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere. They were sentenced to 18 months in prison after being detained at protests over unemployment and corruption. "The supreme court has ordered the appeal court to release on bail the eight activists until a new trial is announced. They are out today," Khalifa al-Hinai, their lawyer, told Reuters. Those freed paid bail of 200 rials (RM1,664) while the three still in prison were awaiting the Supreme Court's orders, Hinai said, adding that no date had been set for the retrial. Oman's Supreme Court on March 4 ordered a retrial after the group went on hunger strike for several days in February to press their case that their imprisonment was unlawful. A higher court had earlier rejected their requests for an appeal. Oman, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz through which some 40 per cent of the world's sea-borne oil exports passes, has sought to placate demonstrators by pledging to create tens of thousands of public sector jobs. But delays in implementing the promises have kept the protests simmering, and some popular anger has been directed against the once-sacrosanct figure of the sultan. — Reuters |
| Snatch thieves caught, set upon by passers-by Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:41 AM PDT KUALA TERENGGANU, March 18 — It was a double whammy for two suspected snatch thieves when they targeted a handbag belonging to a salesgirl. The duo not only failed to take possession of the woman's handbag but were also on the receiving end of a group of people who overpowered and beat them up in the incident in Jalan Sultan Mahmud here last Saturday. The construction workers who sustained injuries in the face and eyes were handed over to the police. State CID chief ACP K. Manoharan said today that the duo were remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations. He said the youths on a motorcycle had earlier snatched the 27-year-old salesgirl's handbag from her motorcycle basket, in front of the Al-Muktafli Billah Shah mosque about 10pm. At the time, the victim was heading towards her home in Chendering. "Following the incident, the salesgirl panicked and honked many times to attract the attention of the public. A policeman who saw the commotion, chased the snatch thieves in his car. "During the chase, one of the youths threw the handbag in the middle of the road in front of the state stadium here and attempted to flee but the duo were caught and beaten up by a group of onlookers," added Manoharan. — Bernama |
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