Three individuals convicted for terror crimes executed after court ruling

Manama, July 27 (BNA): Three individuals convicted in two separate cases by a court ruling subsequently upheld by two higher courts were executed on Saturday morning, the Advocate General and Chief of anti-crime prosecution Ahmed Al Hammadi said. The first case included charges of joining a terrorist group, murders, and possession of explosives and firearms to carry out terror acts. The details of the case are based on the information provided by the investigation authorities at the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation about the formation of a terrorist group that was joined by 12 accused individuals living in Iran, Iraq and Germany and 46 accused living in Bahrain, Al Hammadi said. The group members plotted to commit several terrorist attacks in the Kingdom in order to disrupt public order, put the Kingdom’s safety and security at risk, harm national unity and obstruct public authorities from carrying out their duties. The accused individuals living in Iran and Iraq communicated with members of the group in Bahrain who were in prison or outside the prison to recruit new members and provide them with explosives, firearms and ammunition of various kinds that had been smuggled into the country. They also provided them with funds to support themselves and the actions of the group. They further collaborated with their leader, a fugitive in Germany, to arrange the travel of members to Iran and Iraq for training in the use of explosives and firearms in Revolutionary Guard camps to prepare them to commit terrorist crimes in Bahrain. Based on the evidence, the security authorities arrested suspects in accordance with the provisions of the Law for the Protection of Society from Terrorist Acts, and searched their houses and the places that were used as warehouses where they found large amounts of explosives, lightning, bombs, explosive molds, Kalashnikovs, guns, ammunitions, cars and boats used to commit terrorist crimes and smuggling. The investigation launched by the Public Prosecution proved the establishment of a terrorist group by the accused individuals to disrupt public order and put the safety and security of Bahrain at risk. The crimes committed by the accused individuals were: - Smuggling weapons and explosives to be used in terrorist crimes. Machine guns and improvised explosive devices were seized on a boat on the seashore in Nabih Saleh area. A warehouse used to store explosive devices, weapons and ammunition was discovered in Sitra area on December 1, 2016 - Assisting convicts in terrorist cases and members of the group to escape in an attack on the Center for Reform and Rehabilitation in Jaw prison on January 1, 2017. Ten convicted members of the group escaped, one police officer was killed and several others were injured, and firearms were stolen during the attack. The plan was to use the stolen firearms to carry out more terror attacks and for the fugitives to escape abroad and join group leaders in Iran and Iraq. - Attacking a police officer in an act of terrorism. Several members of the terrorist group and under the directives of their foreign-based leadership targeted a police patrol with guns, resulting in the injury of a police officer in the area of Bani Jamra on January 14, 2017; - The assassination of a police officer in front of his farm in Bilad Al Qadeem area on January 28, 2017. The attack had been plotted by one of the group leaders in Iran and a member in Bahrain. The member carried out the assassination alone using a machine gun supplied to him by the group leaders after monitoring the movements of the victim - Attempting to escape abroad and resisting police officers who had to shoot back at them in Bahrain’s territorial waters on February 9, 2017. The operation was part of an attempt to smuggle out 10 accused members, including one convict who had escaped from Jaw prison, three who assisted in the escape from prison, and the assassination of the prison police officer. The police foiled the escape attempt after they retaliated against the defendants who opened fire which resulted in the death of three terrorists and left others wounded. The defendants were referred to the High Criminal Court where the judges heard the pleadings of the lawyers of the accused and the Public Prosecutor. The prosecution called for the maximum sentence for the accused individuals. The court sentenced two defendants to death, 19 to life in prison, 17 to 15 years, nine to 10 and five to 11. It acquitted two defendants. The rulings were upheld by the Court of Appeals and subsequently by the Court of Cassation. In the second case, the Advocate-General said that an investigation launched after body parts were discovered in an desert area in the south of Bahrain revealed that they belonged to the imam of Bin Shaddah Mosque who had been killed and cut by the muezzin of the mosque. The Public Prosecution investigated the details of the crime, the evidence against the accused, his confession, testimonies from witnesses and technical and medical reports and referred the case to the High Criminal Court. During the trial, the lawyer of the accused and the Public Prosecution presented their written and oral pleadings. The prosecution called for the death sentence. The court, in a unanimous decision, ruled the death sentence for the convict. The Court of Appeals and subsequently, the Court of Cassation upheld the sentence. Al Hammadi added that the three executions were carried out by firing squad, in the presence of the execution judge, the representatives of the Public Prosecution and those concerned, as required by law.