Five suspects convicted of terror plot

Manama, Nov. 15 (BNA): The High Criminal Court today found five defendants guilty of attempted murder, illegal possession, handling of weapons and detonation of explosives in implementation of a terrorist plot, Chief of Terror Crime Prosecution, Ahmed Al Hammadi, said. The court sentenced the first, second and fourth defendants each to a life in jail and BD 500 fine. The court sentenced the third defendant to five years. The court sentenced the fifth defendant to ten years and a BD 100,000 fine. The court ordered confiscation of all seized materials. The details of the case date back to 2017 when the first and third defendants received military training on weapons of various types and manufacturing explosives in a camp in Iraq coordinated by the fourth defendant. The first and second defendants concealed a cache of weapons and explosives in several areas in Bahrain, and delivered them to others. The fourth suspect who was a fugitive abroad was tasked by the first and second defendants to attack law enforcement personnel in their camp in the capital Manama using Kalashnikov guns they had received via ‘dead mail’. On 19 June 2017, they fired bullets at the security personnel stationed near the said police camp in order to kill them. The fifth suspect who was a fugitive terrorist abroad financed these terrorist attacks. The Public Prosecution relied in evidencing on witness testimonies, defendants’ confessions, and technical evidences. The defendants were referred to the High Criminal Court which deliberated on the case in the presence of defence attorneys who presented their arguments. All the legal sureties were provided to the defendants, before the Court’s issuing its above ruling. According to Bahrain Judiciary System, the defendants have the right to challenge the ruling before the High Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, within the legally prescribed duration.