2 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act, No. 56 of2007 (2) Every person who— (a) attempts to commit; (b) aids or abets in the commission of; or (c) threatens to commit, an offence referred to in subsection (1), shall -be guilty of an offence under this Act. (3) A person found guilty of committing an offence under subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section shall on conviction by the High Court, be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years. (4) An offence under this section shall be cognizable and non-bailable, and no person suspected or accused of such an offence shall be enlarged on bail, except by the High Court in exceptional circumstances. (5) A trial in the High Court against any person for the' commission of an offence under this section shall be taken up before any other business of that Court and shall be held on a day to day basis and shall not be postponed, unless due to any unavoidable circumstances, which shall be recorded. (6) For the purpose of subsection (2) of this section "abet" shall have the same meaning as in section 100 of the Penal Code. Entitlement of an alleged 4. (1) A person charged of a criminal offence under any written law, shall be entitled— offender. (a) to be afforded an opportunity of being tried in his presence; (b) to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing and where he does not have any such assistance, to be informed of that right; •