Manama: Two Bahraini prisoners got married within 48 hours of each other after the courts gave permission for their weddings to go ahead.
Mohammad Makki, 26, married a 22-year-old Bahraini woman earlier this week inside a court where they exchanged vows and rings.
Their families said that the two got engaged before the dramatic events that hit Bahrain in February 2011 and that Makki was arrested for his involvement in illegal acts of violence. He faced four charges and was eventually sentenced to 21 years in jail.
The pair agreed to remain together and Makki told the prison’s management he wanted to get married. They agreed, but insisted on the medical test that all people who want to get married in Bahrain have to take.
Following the test results, an appointment was fixed at the court and the two families attended the wedding ceremony in which the judge officiated.
According to media reports, the groom was later taken back to jail while the bride went home with her family.
In the second case, a man sentenced to ten years in jail was able to get married after the court gave permission to proceed.
The bride and groom had already agreed on the marriage details, but their plans were put on hold after he was arrested two years ago on security-related charges.
Although the prisoner has already appealed the ten-year jail sentence and has had the sentence upheld, he is confident the cassation court will reduce his prison term.
According to Akhbar Al Khaleej daily, the groom had agreed to give the bride a dowry of 2,000 dinars (Dh19,484).
In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, an elaborate wedding ceremony was recently held for a Saudi inmate in prison in Buraidah in Qassim province.
Under Saudi prison regulations, inmates have the right to get married and special family rooms have been set up for the purpose in most Saudi prisons.
