Fourteen alleged provocateurs have been referred to criminal court trial on charges of being part of terrorist cells collaborating with Iran, the Public Prosecution announced yesterday.
The suspects will be tried in four separate cases at the High Criminal Court and are made up of 13 men and one woman. Some of the accused will be tried in absentia as they appear to have already ‘fled to Iran’.
The defendants will face a range of charges, including allegedly acting as informants for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), assisting in hostile operations against the country and disclosing national defence secrets.
They were also accused of receiving from and transferring funds to Iran, spreading false information with the intent to create panic among the public, and promoting and glorifying aggression against Bahrain.
One of the defendants was accused of receiving military training from the IRGC.
According to the Public Prosecution, the Interior Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reported the individuals on suspicion of various crimes related to the recent conflict.
The CID stated that the defendants were part of terrorist organisations and were members of different cells, that received orders from the IRGC to photograph vital locations and collect information ahead of recent Iranian missile and drone attacks.
They were accused of passing on intelligence that allowed the targeting of buildings and establishments in Bahrain.
Prosecutors also received reports regarding social media accounts that allegedly ‘posted photographs of sensitive locations accompanied by false news and rumours that promoted the aggression’.
They also reportedly published maps and sent co-ordinates to the enemy, along with explanations indicating the feasibility of targeting the locations identified militarily.
Investigations revealed the identities of the suspects who were allegedly found to be in contact with the IRGC using an encrypted means of communication, the prosecution stated.
Furthermore, some suspects were accused of falsely stating that certain places were targeted and claiming that injuries and deaths occurred as a result ‘with the intention of causing panic among citizens and residents’.
The prosecution stated that it carried out extensive investigations into the matter, questioning the suspects, some of whom ‘confessed in detail’ to the accusations.
They also heard witness statements and issued orders to search the devices used by the suspects to commit the alleged offences.
“Committing espionage with the intent to harm the security and interests of the kingdom is dangerous, because it directly affects the nation and its sovereignty,” Terrorism Prosecution head Ahmed Al Hammadi stated. “The Public Prosecution is always at the ready to detect and pursue those who commit these crimes, and to firmly stand in the face of those who are found to have been complicit in such actions.”
He added that, concurrent with the aggression Bahrain is facing, it is considered an act of treason to purposefully and knowingly publish disinformation and rumours, as they affect morale and harm stability.
He called on people to only obtain information from official sources, warning against the spreading of rumours or the sharing of information that could negatively affect public security.
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