Five Bahrainis with terror links stripped of nationality

Manama: The High Criminal Court has stripped the Bahraini nationality of five men, who have links with the terrorist organisation, the 14 February Coalition. Additionally, two of the defendants were handed down 15 years behind bars each, while the rest were given five years in jail each.

Judges at the High Criminal Court also fined each defendant BD100,000. Police investigations revealed that the terrorist organisation received money transfers totally worth nearly BD140,000 to resume its activities with the defendants beginning to recruit new young Bahraini men and train them on carrying out terrorist activities.

The defendants, according to court files, were using modern telecommunication devices to communicate among themselves. The fourth defendant was reportedly receiving the funds and was distributing them among the members in Bahrain to carry out attacks. 

The fourth defendant is said to have been running a printing facility that was used to produce promotional materials for the terrorist organisation. He told prosecutors that he was aware of the aims of the terrorist organisation, and he was paid to print the materials.

The defendants’ activities began in 2012 and they were arrested in 2014, court files read. They were charged with joining a terrorist group, headed by the first defendant and targeted to disable the provisions of the constitution as well as damage the national unity.  The second defendant was also indicted of possessing arms without a license.