Oil pipeline blast convicts lose appeal

Manama, Jan. 28(BNA): The first instance of the High Court of Appeal has issued today its verdict in the case of the terrorist blast which targeted an oil pipeline in the area of Buri on the 10th of November, 2017. "The defendants were charged with forming a terrorist group and joining it, possessing explosives, carrying out a terrorist bombing and training on using firearms and explosives to perpetrate terrorist crimes and finance terrorism. Chief of the Terror Crime Prosecution Advocate General Chancellor Dr. Ahmed Al-Hammadi said that the first instance of the High Court of Appeal had upheld the initial verdict which was issued by the High Criminal Court, rejecting the appeal which was lodged by five defendants. The fourth instance of the High Criminal Court had issued its verdict on the 15th of October, 2018, sentencing defendants one to five to life in jail and fine them to BD100, 000. The same court also sentenced the 6th defendant to ten years in prison, the 7th to five years and fined him BD100,000. The 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants were ordered to pay the combined sum of BD 64577.041in compensation for the damages inflicted upon the oil pipeline. The court ordered to revoke the nationality of defendants 1 to 6 and confiscate the seized items. Investigation revealed that the 1st and 2nd defendants, who are fugitives abroad, formed a terrorist group and recruited the other accused. The third and fourth defendants trained on using firearms and making bombs at the camps of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran with the aim of perpetrating terrorist crimes in Bahrain. Evidence showed that the first defendant assigned the other accused to blow off the oil pipeline located in the area of Buri and directed them to receive, by dead letter mail, parts of the explosives and the allocated money to carry out the bomb blast at designated places in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The 3rd defendant led the terrorist group in carrying out the oil pipeline explosion on the 10th of November 2017. Investigation revealed that he had met the accused and distributed the roles, before planting the explosive which blew off, causing a fire which damaged the pipeline and neighbouring houses, cars and shops in the vicinity. The 3rd to 7th defendants were arrested in the aftermath of the oil pipeline blast. The accused were referred to the fourth instance of the High Criminal Court, which dealt with the case, heard the defendants’ lawyers and the Public Prosecution before handing down the maximum penalty to the accused. The above-mentioned court issued its verdict, which was upheld by the First Instance of the High Court of Appeal.