Bahrain’s High Criminal Court has stripped nine Bahrainis of their citizenship for taking part in terror-related activities.

It was the first ruling under a tough new anti-terror law that followed last year’s recommendations by the National Assembly, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The nine were among 13 convicted yesterday for forming and joining a terrorist group, and training and receiving training on use of weapons and explosives.

Three of the accused were sentenced to 15 years in prison but were cleared of spying charges for lack of evidence. Another suspect was handed a 10-year jail term while six others were sentenced to seven years in prison and three to five.

Fourteen people had been accused of stockpiling AK-47s to use against security guards with the aim of freeing 10 convicted members of the Iranian-backed terrorist group Jaish Al Imam (Army of Imam) from the Dry Dock Detention Centre in Hidd. But one of them was later cleared of the charges levelled against him.

The prisoners had been earlier convicted of conspiring with the Persian state to assassinate high-ranking policemen and public figures and target key sites across Bahrain. The jailbreak operation was planned for 6am on June 21 last year.

All the defendants had been accused of establishing a terrorist cell, possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, receiving militia training and smuggling weapons. A detective earlier told prosecutors that police foiled the prison break operation three hours before it was due to happen and arrested seven of the suspects.

The eighth suspect, who was arrested following the raid along with two other defendants, fired gunshots at a policeman in an attempt to escape arrest. Five others are still at large and were being tried in absentia. - TradeArabia News Service