Bahraini jailed and has citizenship revoked over ISIS-linked activity
Bahrain’s prosecution convicted on Wednesday a Bahraini suspect of involvement with the terror group ISIS, revoking his citizenship and sentencing him to 10 years in jail.
The convict was proven radicalized and having pledged to using force against the government, rabble-rousing and spreading chaos, threatening to disrupt social and civil peace.
Bahraini prosecution condemned Yousef Albinali, cousin of ISIS self-proclaimed cleric Turki Albinali, of all plaintiffs pushed against him.
Albinali’s legal representative, Abdullah Hashem, said he plans on pushing for a discrimination claim, and expects an appeal for the verdict against his client.
Advocate General and Head of the Terror Crimes Prosecution, Ahmed Al-Hammadi, said that the First High Criminal Court had sentenced a suspect to 10 years in prison, revoked his citizenship and confiscated most of his possessions.
The Advocate General confirmed that the defendant was afforded full legal rights throughout the trial, adding he has the right to appeal the ruling, and may challenge the Court of Appeals’ verdict at the Court of Cassation as guaranteed by Bahraini law.
The suspect stood trial over charges of joining a terrorist group, possessing a firearm illegally for terrorist purposes and disseminating false news, Al-Hammadi said.
Case documents revealed that the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science had received reports indicating that a Takfiri (person who accuses others of apostasy) individual had joined, along with other persons, including convicts in other cases and unknown ones, the branch of the ISIS terrorist organization in Bahrain.
The suspect was in charge of linking ISIS’ branch in Bahrain and its militants abroad, used social media networks to publish and exchange information about ISIS and its principles which are based on accusing Bahrain’s ruling system and its state institutions of apostasy and calling for their overthrow and the killing of those in charge of them.
ISIS has sparked division among the sects of the Bahraini society in an attempt to subvert its national unity, using force or threatening to use it, which would cause harm to individuals, spread terror among them and pose a serious threat to their lives and safety for the sake of undermining public order and putting the security of Bahrain and the International Community at risk.
The Public Prosecution leveled charges against the suspect based on testimonies from the witnesses and his confessions, as well as on technical reports. It referred the defendant to the High Criminal Court where he stood trial in the presence of his lawyer.
Source: Aawsat
