Bahrain Jails Man for Life Over Iran, Hezbollah Links

Prosecutors say defendant shared sensitive information with Iran-linked operatives and Hezbollah

The court sentenced a man to life in prison on Sunday after convicting him of collaborating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, in a case authorities as a threat to national security.

The High Criminal Court also ordered the confiscation of seized materials after finding the defendant guilty of seeking and communicating with what prosecutors called “terrorist organisations”, obtaining sensitive information and delivering it to a foreign state for hostile purposes against Bahrain.

In a statement, the head of the Terror Crimes Prosecution said the accused had also been convicted of endorsing and supporting “terrorist and hostile acts” targeting the kingdom.

According to prosecutors, investigations by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science found that Lebanon’s Hezbollah had recruited the suspect while he was inside Bahrain after he allegedly sought to join the group.

Authorities said he had been tasked with sending information, photographs and videos related to what prosecutors described as “Iranian aggression” against Bahrain to electronic accounts allegedly operated from Iran under the supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian intelligence agencies.

Prosecutors said the information was intended to benefit “the enemy” and threaten Bahrain’s security as well as the safety of citizens and residents.

The Public Prosecution said the suspect confessed in detail during questioning and that forensic examinations of seized electronic devices supported the charges brought against him.

The defendant was later referred to the High Criminal Court following his detention pending trial.

The case was heard over several sessions during which legal safeguards were observed, prosecutors said, including the presence of defence lawyers and the opportunity for the accused to present his case.

The Public Prosecution stressed that protecting Bahrain’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security was a legal and national duty, warning that cooperation with foreign states or organisations in ways that undermine the country’s independence constitutes a serious crime under Bahraini law.

Authorities also said they would continue pursuing individuals involved in acts threatening the kingdom’s stability, whether through direct participation, incitement or assistance, noting that such offences carry severe penalties that can extend to the death sentence.