ABU DHABI // The three men who killed Emirati policeman First Lieutenant Tariq Al Shehi and two Bahraini policemen in a bomb blast a year ago were sentenced to death by Bahrain’s high criminal court on Thursday.
Life sentences were issued to seven others who were also involved in the killings, the country’s state news agency reported.
Lt Al Shehi was killed along with two officers from Bahrain’s security forces after an improvised bomb exploded during an attempt by police to disperse protesters.
The killers had staged a riot and placed explosive devices on the road to lure police into a trap on March 3 last year.
The explosives were detonated by remote control. Thirteen others were injured in the blast.
Investigations revealed that two of the men had formed a terrorist group called Al Ashtar Brigades and recruited others who were skilled in building explosive devices and instigating riots. They targeted police officers and crucial facilities in the kingdom.
Lt Al Shehi was serving in Bahrain as a part of a joint Arabian Gulf force deployed in 2011 to help restore order, following demonstrations in the country. He was the first officer from another Gulf state to be reported killed since GCC forces arrived in the country.
The 41-year-old father of four was buried in his native Ras Al Khaimah. A mosque in Bahrain has been renamed his honour, as has a street in his hometown of Shaam.
Abdullah Al Mazrouei, a 22-year-old first lieutenant at Abu Dhabi Police, said: “We were always confident in the rule of justice and law in Bahrain. I’m glad to hear that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
“We are all servicemen of this great nation. We’re all serving our country wherever we are, whether we are stationed in the UAE, Bahrain or elsewhere.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, declared last year that Lt Al Shehi was a martyr of the UAE, and not only his family.
Sheikh Mohammed said that Lt Al Shehi’s sons would be under his personal care since the UAE is one family and the country never forgets those who sacrificed their lives for its sake.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae