Ten terror suspects to face trial on February 28

Manama : The Fourth Criminal Court will hear on February 28, the case of 10 people suspected of carrying out terrorist activities in the Kingdom.

“10 suspects, seven in custody and three fugitives abroad, would be referred to the court on charges of joining and running a terrorist group, possessing explosive devices, tools, forearms, and training on using them,” Chief of Anti-Terror Crime Prosecution, Advocate-General Ahmed Al Hammadi said yesterday.

“The suspects are being referred to the court after the public prosecution completed its investigations in the case,” he added. 

The case was opened on July 18 when the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Forensic Evidence received information about the terrorist group. 

Further investigations revealed that an individual recruited the suspects and formed a group with the purpose of committing terrorist acts in Bahrain. 

The individual, who died later in Iraq, coordinated with external parties to help some of the members  travel to Iraq and Iran where they were trained by members of the Revolutionary Guard and the Iraqi Hezbollah on using weapons and explosives.

Upon their return, they received weapons and products smuggled into Bahrain to be used in making bombs. The group members hid the weapons and explosives in secret stores.

However, following the issuance of search warrants by the public prosecution, the weapons and explosives were found inside the homes of some of the recruits and in a cache. The police also found 511 detonators and a car used by the group members to transport the weapons and explosives.

Investigators also found on the seized items, fingerprints that matched those of the group members as well as explanations and guidelines on forming and managing terrorist groups and on ways to recruit members and engaging in secret communications between them. The guides also explained the various types of explosives, how to make and install them and use them to blow up cars.

One of the suspects whose fingerprints were found on some of the seized items has been charged in a separate case after he participated in a terrorist act that included exploding a device on Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad, near the Nuwaidrat Roundabout on June 30, 2016, killing a Bahraini woman. However the case was closed following his death.