Terror suspects receive jail terms

Manama, Nov. 29 (BNA): Advocate General Chancellor Dr. Ahmed Al Hammadi said the High Criminal Court sentenced today four suspects to life imprisonment and fined each one of them BD 100,000. It also ruled the revocation of their Bahraini citizenship. Another suspect was sentenced to life in jail, fined BD 1000 and had his Bahraini citizenship revoked. Four suspects were also handed down ten-year imprisonment sentence, fined BD 100,000 each and had their citizenship revoked. Two suspects were sentenced to ten years in prison and fined BD 100,000 each. Three suspects received 7-year jail terms and had their Bahraini citizenship revoked. The court also sentenced another suspect to seven years in prison and handed down the same jail term to another one and ruled to revoke his citizenship. It also ruled to imprison two suspects for three years and confiscate the seized items.  The suspects were charged with organising and running a terror group, joining and funding it, attempted murder of police officers, possessing explosives, weapons and ammunition, training on using weapons and explosive devices for terrorist purposes and attempted escape of terror convicts. Eighteen suspects, including seven in custody, were referred to the Fourth High Criminal Court for trial. Details of the case show that a terror group, affiliated with Saraya Al-Mukhtar (Squadrons of Al-Mukhtar) terrorist organisation, was formed to carry out terrorist operation in the Kingdom of Bahrain by targeting police vehicles and security officers as well as killing officers from the Interior Ministry. The group was also accused of planning to help terror convicts to escape from prison. Members of the organisation received and transported weapons, explosive devices and money and distributed them on the other elements.  The Public Prosecution relied in referring the suspects to trial on verbal evidences, including the witnesses' testimonies, as well as technical ones, reports of the Criminal Investigation Directorate and the suspects' confession. The suspects have the right to challenge the ruling before the Court of Appeal and, then, the Court of Cassation as guaranteed by Bahrain constitution.