Daesh suspects given jail terms

Manama, June 23 (BNA): Chief of Terror Crimes Prosecution Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi today said that the High Criminal Court had issued its verdict against the suspects involved in the case of the so-called “Daesh” terrorist group. The court sentenced one suspect to life in proson, and 23 others to 15 years in jail. It also ordered the confiscation of the seized items and the revocation of the citizenship of 13 defendants. Documents presented to the court indicated that the Public Prosecution had been notified, in February 2015, by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science about the results of investigations into the case. Investigators found that a suspect had recruited two other defendants to join the “Daesh” terrorist group. He also facilitated the travel of one of them to Syria, where he was trained by Daesh militants and requested them to recruit more Bahrainis and ease their travel to Syria to join Daesh. The two suspects had recruited many Bahrainis, some of whom joined the terrorist group and participated in the some of its combats. Documents also revealed that they used social media networks to instigate the personnel of the Bahrain Defence Force and the Public Security to disobey the rules, give up their military duties and join their terrorist group. Investigations showed that a group of Daesh followers in Bahrain were urged to carry out terror acts inside the kingdom, including suicide attacks at places of worship, similar to those conducted by Daesh terrorists in neighbouring countries. The Advocate-General said that eight suspects had been arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution which questioned them, and remanded them in custody pending further investigations. The Public Prosecution relied in substantiating the charges on the statements of evidence witnesses, the confessions of the suspects and forensic reports, Al-Hammadi said, confirming that the defendants had been afforded full legal rights throughout the trial.