138 Bahrainis to face trial for alleged terrorist activities

The file photo shows the entrance to Bahrain’s Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs in Manama.

A court in Bahrain says 138 citizens will be put on trial for allegedly carrying weapons, attacking police and forming terrorist groups in the tiny Persian Gulf country.
The Manama regime claims that the 138 have played a role in creating what it calls a “subversive group” dubbed the Zulfiqar Brigade in the island state, Bahrain’s al-Wasat newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Terror Crimes Prosecution Advocate General Hamad Shaheen said the investigation into the case has ended, adding that 86 of the defendants have been detained.
He further noted that the trial of the 138 will be held on August 23.
Meanwhile, Bahrain judicial officials claimed that some of the defendants have fled abroad and are residing in countries such as Iran and Iraq planning to conduct terrorist actions in Bahrain.
Bahrain has repeatedly made similar accusations against Tehran, saying it has dismantled Iranian-linked cells plotting attacks on its territory. The Islamic Republic, however, has categorically rejected the baseless claims.

Bahraini police leave after dispersing anti-regime protesters during clashes in the village of Shahrakan on April 5, 2016. ©AFP

Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has seen a wave of anti-regime protests since mid-February 2011.
The Al Khalifah regime is engaged in a harsh crackdown on dissent and widespread discrimination against the country's Shia majority.
Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others injured or arrested in Manma’s ongoing repression of free speech.