Bahrain jails 11 for ‘establishing a terrorist group’

A court in Bahrain yesterday sentenced 11 people to prison terms ranging from three to ten years on charges of “establishing a terrorist group”, state-run news agency BNA reported.

The agency said Bahrain’s Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced five defendants to ten years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 dinars ($265,000), two defendants to five years imprisonment, four defendants to three years imprisonment and fined three of them 100,000 dinars ($265,000).

The defendants were accused of “establishing and financing a terrorist group and training on using weapons and explosives as well as promoting terrorist crimes”.

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The ruling is not final and can be appealed.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised Bahrain as a result of the high number of prison and death sentences issued over the past year, calling on Manama to suspend the sentences which “have become a weapon against opponents”.