Attorney General attends International Association of Prosecutors meeting

Baku, Attorney General Dr. Ali bin Fadhel Al Buainain participated in the 29th annual meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors held in Azerbaijan. The meeting was held from September 30-October 2. Nayef Yousif Mahmood, First Attorney General Counselor, was also present. During the meeting, the Attorney General presented a working paper on the protection of victims and witnesses. He discussed the legislative and institutional framework for protection in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He highlighted the authorities granted to the public prosecution and the courts in this regard, in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law. Dr. Al Buainain underscored the protective measures outlined in the Anti-Human Trafficking Law and the Domestic Violence Protection Law. He also addressed the use of technology in criminal proceedings, emphasising how electronic means can be utilised to ensure the protection of victims and witnesses. This includes their application during the stages of evidence collection, investigations, trail and witness testimony, as permitted by national laws. In his presentation, he also discussed the institutional measures implemented to enforce legal protections, including the establishment of the Victim and Witness Protection Office within the public prosecution. He highlighted the creation of the Victim and Witness Protection Affairs office within the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), which is responsible for assessing the need for protection, issuing relevant decisions and coordinating with the appropriate authorities to ensure implementation. Dr. Al Buainain he underscored the technological provisions made by the public prosecution to facilitate remote witnesses' testimony as part of the protective measures in place. This includes the establishment of a specialised room for interviewing children, equipped with technology that ensures psychological safety by allowing remote confrontation without direct interaction with the accused. The Attorney General also presented pr actical examples of the public prosecution's contributions to international judicial cooperation, where investigations were conducted remotely while adhering the victim protection requirements. He commend Bahrain's legislative and institutional framework for protecting victims, witnesses and those closely related to them. He noted its comprehensive approach to ensuring the imposition of protective measures aimed at uncovering truthful and reliable evidence free from any doubt or deficiency. On the sideline of the meeting, the Attorney General signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the public persecution of Bahrain in Azerbaijan. This agreement focuses on judicial cooperation for the exchange of information and innovative strategies related to effective management of criminal justice, the organisation of joint training, and the exchange of legal research, particularly in the development of judicial system. Dr. Al Buainain also with several attorneys general and discussed with his counterparts fro m Turkey, Yemen and Nepal. The discussions addressed areas of cooperation between the prosecuting authorities regarding the implementation of mutual legal assistance requests, experience sharing and capacity building. Source: Bahrain News Agency