Manama: The trial of a suspected terror cell that plotted to target major installations in Bahrain has been set for January 9, the public prosecutor has said.
"The Public Prosecution has completed its investigations into the case of a terrorist cell whose members collaborated with a foreign country to provide military training for the sake of conducting terrorist acts in the Kingdom of Bahrain," Nawaf Hamza, the head of public prosecution, said. "The group had plans to target vital facilities and key sites including the King Fahad Causeway, the Saudi embassy in Bahrain and the interior ministry building," he said. The 25-kilometre causeway is Bahrain's only terrestrial link with its neighbours and is used by thousands of vehicles travelling daily from, to or through Saudi Arabia.
In November Bahrain announced the arrest after four suspected members of the cell were detained by Qatar at its border with Saudi Arabia after authorities found documents and a laptop containing important security information in their vehicle.
Bomb instructions
The suspects were turned over to the Bahraini authorities on November 4, Bahrain's interior ministry said.
The eight defendants have been referred to the High Criminal Court to be tried for espionage, as well as organising, managing, and/or joining an illegal group that uses terrorism as a means to achieve its purpose, the public prosecutor said.
"The Public Prosecution relied on evidence ranging from confessions to workbooks and written documents seized in the possession of the accused parties," Nawaf Hamza said. "The documents contained organisational plans and instructions for making bombs. Forensic analysis confirmed that the documents in question were consistent with handwriting samples from the accused, and conversations between the accused parties provide further evidence in the case," he said.
