Court adjourns 138 men's trial in terror case

Manama : The High Criminal Court yesterday adjourned the trial of 138 men accused of forming a terrorist group till November 3. Eighty-six of the defendants are in police custody, while others are still at large and are being tried in absentia.

They were part of a group called “Kata’eb Thu Al Fiqar” (Thu Al Fiqar Brigades), which reportedly detonated 19 bombs across the Kingdom.

The defendants were also accused of spying for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and another terrorist organisation in Iraq besides possessing explosives and weapons. They pleaded not guilty, but were remanded in custody, pending trial. 

According to the court documents, which were handed to judges in five cartons, the suspects received instructions from officials in the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard to unify their terrorist activities in the Kingdom.

As a result, the individuals who were initially functioning in separate groups, merged under one umbrella called “Thu Al Fiqar Brigades.” Following this, they started making plots targeting Bahrain’s security.

Information revealed that the main reason for the merging was to tackle the shortage of trained militants and explosives, thanks to the successes of Bahrain’s security forces in dismantling terror groups, arresting members of the outfit as well as seizing the materials they used. 

Prosecutors said the defendants were trained to use arms and explosives at military camps under the Revolutionary Guard based in Iran and Iraq. They were  also trained on personal security, military surveillance and creating warehouses to stash weapons.