Terror suspects stripped of nationality

Manama : Eight defendants convicted of spying for Iran and forming a terrorist organisation in the Kingdom were stripped  of their Bahraini nationality. 

The jail terms of the defendants were confirmed by the Supreme Appeals Court, except for the sixth defendant whose life sentence was reduced to 15 years in prison. 

The High Criminal Court earlier slapped six of the defendants with life sentences, and the seventh and eighth defendants with 15 years in jail. 

According to court files, the defendants reportedly created the terrorist group purposely to smuggle arms and explosives from Iran into Bahrain. 

The defendants established their plot after the 2011’s unrest, as the first defendant met his sixth co-defendant and they agreed to trigger an armed movement in the Kingdom against the regime. 

Two of the suspects are fugitives residing in Iran. They are said to have requested their co-suspects to recruit young Bahrainis to train on using arms and explosives as well as transporting them through the sea. 

The first and second defendants are believed to have travelled to Iran, and the Iran-based fugitives facilitated their flight having provided them with the cost of their tickets. 

Upon their arrival in Iran, the pair was taken to a military camp owned by the IranianRevolutionary Guard, where they were trained on using arms including the Kalashnikov. They were also trained in swimming and diving.

The seventh and eight defendants then provided BD7100 for the pair upon their return to purchase a pick-up and a boat to smuggle the arms and deliver them to a cache. The defendants managed to smuggle different types of military weapons and explosives and substances used in making bombs prior their arrest. 

Two of the accused were caught trying to smuggle arms into Bahrain. They were nabbed carrying four bags containing arms and explosives as well as substances used to make bombs. 

They revealed the identities of their accomplices. The second defendant admitted during interrogations to travelling to Iran and meeting the seventh defendant. He also confessed to being trained on how to use of arms in a military camp.