16 get jail for terror crimes

Manama : The fourth High Criminal Court yesterday jailed 16 people  --- five for life, three to 10 years, five to three years and three to two years ---- for terror crimes, Chief Prosecutor at the Terror Crimes Prosecution, Isa Al-Ruwaie, said. 

The court also revoked the citizenship of eight suspects and confiscated seized items.

The suspects were found guilty of forming and joining a terrorist group, the attempted murder of a public sector employee, training on the use of weapons and explosives, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition for terrorist purposes, hiding suspects and not reporting a crime to the authorities.

Court documents revealed that the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation (CID) had received a report indicating that a terrorist group had been formed in Bahrain and had been planning to target the security personnel in order to murder them.

In order to carry out their plan, the group provided a firearm, and a suspect lured an Interior Ministry’s officer to Sitra, on May 22 last year. On the arrival of the officer at the site, another suspect, who had been trained on using weapons and explosives, shot him. Intensive research led to the identification of the suspects and to the arrest of 11 according to the legal procedures in force. They were referred to the Public Prosecution. A warrant was then issued to arrest the remaining suspects.

The Public Prosecution levelled the charges based on testimonies from the witnesses as well as the confessions of the defendants and referred the suspects to the High Criminal Court where they stood trial in the presence of their lawyers.

The Chief Prosecutor confirmed that the defendants were afforded full legal rights throughout the trial, adding that they have the right to appeal the ruling, and may challenge the Court of Appeals’ verdict at the Court of Cassation as guaranteed by Bahraini law.