Bahrain man arrested for raising illegal funds

Manama : A security man was arrested for raising funds to finance two London-based channels that actively incited sectarianism. The accused collected BD8,000 in a space of 10 days, of which BD7,000 was sent to the channels.

The 33-year-old man confessed that he had been raising funds since 2014. He also gave donors receipts to win their confidence.

According to court files, the money was supposed to finance a movie degrading two symbols of Islam, including caliph Omar Al Khattab and Khalid bin Al Waleed.

The defendant has been in contact with Yasser Al Habib, a controversial Shia religious figure living in London, since 2008. He was offered a position in the administration staff of the channels. So he was requested to raise funds in Bahrain in favour of the channels.

Both the channels are reportedly broadcasting programmes attacking the government and the Sunni people. The court ordered to detain him for 30 days.