EIGHTEEN men have been jailed for being part of a terrorist cell that planned to bomb key establishments in Bahrain, including the CID headquarters in Adliya.
The Bahraini defendants, whose ages range from 18 to 37, were also found guilty by the High Criminal Court yesterday of receiving militia training abroad and possessing explosives since 2017.
However, only nine men who are in custody previously appeared in court where they denied the charges; the other nine defendants who are at large are being tried in absentia.
Eight of the defendants were jailed for life, which holds a 25-year prison term.
Two defendants were sentenced to 15 years behind bars, two to 10 years in jail and five defendants were sent to five years behind bars.
The 18th defendant was jailed for seven years for aiding and abetting the crimes.
The defendants allegedly tried to detonate explosives outside the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) headquarters in Adliya, the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Sanabis, and near an oil pipeline in Hamala.
The illicit group is said to be part of Saraya Al Ashtar (Al Ashtar Brigades).
Four alleged masterminds, including Alsayed Murtadha Al Sindi (who was branded a global terrorist by the US in 2017), are said to have headed the group.
The 37-year-old was previously sentenced in absentia in connection with a number of cases related to terrorism.
The convict, who is said to be one of the leaders of Saraya Al Ashtar, is currently at large and believed to be in Iran.
“Investigations led to one of the leaders of Saraya Al Ashtar terrorist group, who received financial and logistics support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and three other masterminds (all four defendants at large) who recruited four people to carry out terrorist attacks in Bahrain,” read the court ruling.
“The masterminds helped provide militia training abroad to their co-defendants.
“The recruits were ordered to monitor national and foreign military bases in the country and their personnel to kill them.
“In addition, they were told to monitor public figures and target them also.
“They were also told to take pictures of key establishments, including financial and oil pipelines, and send them abroad.
“They were also told to recruit others and help them receive militia training abroad and carry out terrorist attacks and claim responsibility in the name of a new terrorist cell, Saraya Al Shaheed Qasem Soleimani (Brigades of Martyr IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani). The defendants were also told to collect explosives through dead drops and assemble bombs to plant at these targets.
“Several of the defendants, who initially admitted to being part of the illicit cell to prosecutors, previously described how they made failed attempts to detonate explosives at key establishments in Bahrain.
“The defendants were found guilty of the charges due to sufficient evidence against them and investigations that led to their involvement in the crime.”
Authorities confiscated C4 explosives and claymore mines from a house in Saar belonging to a 24-year-old defendant.
noorz@gdn.com.bh
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