Terror convict’s life sentence upheld

The High Criminal Appellate Court has upheld the verdict issued against a Bahraini convicted of joining the terrorist group Al Ashtar Brigade. The convict was also charged with attempted murder of a police officer apart form possessing weapons and funding the terror organisation.

According to court details, the convict along with accomplices launched an attack on police checkpoint in Sitra in May 2017 using a Kalashnikov weapon, which was illegally acquired. “The officers had a narrow escape in the attack.” The convict, first accused in the case, was handed down 10 years imprisonment along with the second accused.

The nationalities of both accused were revoked. It is alleged that the first accused was in charging of training and recruiting new members to the terror organisation, which intended to attack and kill police officers apart from targeting government institutions.

The second accused, upon interrogation, told prosecutors that it was a fugitive hiding in Iran who gave him orders to launch an attack on police officers. “He also received financial support for doing so.”