29 Bahrainis receive heavy jail terms

Manama : Twenty-nine Bahraini suspects implicated with detonating a bomb and possessing explosives as well as receiving trainings on using them have been slapped with heavy jail terms, with two of them being stripped of their nationality.

Eight of the defendants were given life sentences each, while one of them received 10 and the rest were handed down five years behind bars each. Meanwhile, one of the defendants was fined BD3,000.

Originally, 30 men were put on trial in connection with this case, but the 30th defendant was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The defendants, aged between 15 and 31, were allegedly part of a mob that gathered in Duraz on September 28, 2014. They blocked roads with debris and hurled police patrols with stones and Molotov cocktails. Six of them were indicted of possessing explosives as well as planting and detonating the bomb that went off near Manchester United Gents Salon in Duraz.

According to the court documents, the device was remotely detonated around 1pm after the police arrived to clear debris and burning tyres that had been used to block the Budaiya Highway.

No one was hurt in the explosion, but all three defendants were charged with attempted murder. The first defendant, who was considered the mastermind of the operation, was charged with training others to use explosives, while another was accused of encouraging people to carry out terror attacks.

They were also indicted of taking part in an illegal rally by using violence, possessing flammable and explosive objects and damaging private property.

One of the defendants told prosecutors earlier that he had detonated nine bombs in association with four of his co-defendants. He said that he had received training on how to construct bombs at the hands of the 30th defendant, who including the first defendant had been stripped of their nationality.

The defendants can appeal the verdict.