CAIRO: Three Bahrain police officers were charged with killing protesters during demonstrations last year could face the death penalty if convicted, the government's news agency reported on Tuesday. The defendants, who have not been named, include a police lieutenant, according to a statement by the Gulf nation's Information Affairs Authority. They were originally being tried on the lesser charge of manslaughter, but prosecutors called for murder charges to be brought against them. They are on trial for three separate shooting deaths that occurred in February and March 2011. Conviction on manslaughter charges carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison, but a murder conviction can result in life imprisonment or the death penalty, the IAA statement read. “If convicted of murder, employees of the Ministry of Interior are likely to receive the toughest penalties allowed by law,” it added. A report issued in November by a commission authorized by Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers cited medical reports that found all three victims were shot from close range. The report determined that their deaths were the result of excessive force by police. The officers' trial resumes July 10.
