Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Bahrain: NSA’s Control Limited to Terror Crimes | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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In this Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 file photo, Bahraini anti-government protesters wave flags and chant during a rally of thousands organized by Al-Wefaq. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)


Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain has announced a new decree granting National Security Agency (NSA) judicial powers to arrest and detain civilians involved in terror crimes.

Referring to Decree 1/2017 that amended provisions of Decree 14/2002 establishing the NSA which granted the Agency officers judicial control powers, Senior Advocate General Ahmed al-Dossary said the powers of NSA officers to assume judicial control power to arrest and detain will be restricted to terror crimes.

“The powers of NSA officers to exercise judicial powers to arrest and detain will be restricted to terror crimes as stipulated in the Decree,” said Dossary in a statement, adding, the amendment is in view of the high risk of terror crimes which necessitates prompt action to thwart plots, halt their impact, gather evidence and arrest the culprits.

The arresting and detainment power in all other crimes remains the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.

Whenever the NSA discovers crimes that have no terror link, it will refer them to the Ministry of Interior to take the legal action in this regard.

The decree stipulates that apart from terror crimes, the NSA should refer the cases that require making arrests or detentions to the Ministry of Interior to take the legal action in this regard.

The amendment to the Decree comes in the wake of the recent Jau jail attack by armed gunmen in which a policeman was killed and another wounded allowing several prison inmates to escape.

There has been no information about the attackers, who freed about 10 prisoners from the Jau central prison.