Bahrain: 51 convicted of terrorism charges

The authorities say they belonged to a group directed by Iran’s IRGC to attack targets in Bahrain

The Bahraini vessels were carrying out a coastguard exercise. Reuters

A criminal court in Bahrain has convicted 51 people for being part of a terrorist organisation funded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that planned attacks on the kingdom.

The 51, who received sentences ranging from five years to life in prison, had intended “to target economic and vital locations,” including army headquarters and the Interior Ministry, the government said on Tuesday.

“The accused organised in a group to execute their schemes to commit terrorist acts in the kingdom under the direction of the leadership of the IRGC,” the government said.

They “received financial support and funding from the IRGC and were supplied with weapons, explosives, equipment and tools necessary,” it said.

Twenty-four of those convicted by the High Criminal Court were arrested at the end of last year, but 27 were convicted in their absence as they were outside the kingdom.

An operation by the group to attack a public transport vehicle was foiled last year, the court said.

“The arrested suspects were seized in possession of anti-personnel explosive devices, vehicles and tools used in their manufacture, in addition to Molotov cocktails,” the government said.

It said members of the group were trained in Iraq and Iran by the IRGC and the pro-Iranian Iraqi Hezbollah.

“They have also been instructed to recruit other terrorists to form separate clusters that would carry out the terrorist operations in the different areas of Bahrain."