High Court upholds sentence against “juvenile” Nizar murder convict

High Court has ruled in favor of a 16-year and 8-month prison sentence for terrorism issued by Juvenile Court against a convict in the murder of Ahmed Nizar from Woodland at L. Gan.

Juvenile Court issued the prison sentence in May, 2015. The convict was 17 years old at the time of the crime, but has now turned 21 years.

Nizar died from injuries after he was attacked by a group of individuals as he was driving along a road at L. Gan at approximately 2:23 am on July 14, 2013.

The prison sentence was appealed in 2015. And the High Court delivered its verdict this Wednesday.

High Court said that though the State was unable to prove through witness testimony that Nizar fell on the ground after he was hit by an object which the young man threw, witness testimony clearly proved he had been present with others involved in the case when the incident took place.

The court noted that witness testimony proved he, along with a group of other individuals roamed the island and visited homes in search of a specific individual, and acted in a manner which created fear within the community.

It also noted that medical papers showed Nizar died from injuries inflicted by weapons such as wooden sticks and iron bars.

The court ruled that the actions of the young man fit the criteria for acts of terror under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

High Court ruled to uphold the original 16 years and 8-month prison sentence – citing there was no legal or judicial reason to amend the sentence. The decision was unanimous.