Detective fined for failing to appear in court

Manama : A detective has been fined BD50 by the Court for failing to attend the hearing of  the case of 18 men implicated in connection with spying for Iran and terrorist organisation Hezbollah. 

The Bahraini defendants, aged between 28 and 59,  are said to have created a group, namely “Al Basta Group” which has links with Al Wafa Al Islamic Stream, also a terrorist group. 

However, only ten men are in police custody, while the remaining suspects are still at large and are being tried in absentia. 

The detective was supposed to take the stand yesterday, but he failed to appear before the court to give evidence.

According to court files, the Al Basta Group was formed by a twins Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi and Mohammed Ahmed Fakhrawi, both of whom aged 33. The group attracted the other defendants, and was working on inciting the public against the government and spreading false statements as well as calling for the change of the regime, according to court files. 

Prosecutors say that the group members had met leaders of Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, during which they received financial aid and technical support to carry out criminal activities across the Kingdom. 

The group is said to have provided Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah with confidential reports on the political, economical and social situations in the Bahrain as well as  their activities.  

The defendants reportedly used the financial support they received on helping convicted men in terror cases in order to encourage them to commit more terror acts. 

According to court files, Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi travelled to Iran in 2011 to execute the group’s terrorist plans. He relied on terrorist members living in Iran and is accused of having close links with leaders of Iranian Revolutionary Guard.