Bahrain: 24 men affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) have been accused of plotting a terror attack on a key Shi’ite mosque in Bahrain, a court heard. 

Details of the high-profile trial emerged during the first hearing at the High Criminal Court yesterday, where seven of the defendants appeared to plead not guilty while the rest are at large. 

Revoked

All the defendants have been charged with joining the terrorist group, also referred to ISIL or Daesh, and calling to forcibly overthrow the regime by labelling it as an apostasy (takfeer).

Among the defendants at large is Turki Mubarak Al Binali, a senior member of IS whose Bahraini nationality was revoked for encouraging young people to join insurgencies in Iraq and Syria.

The 30-year-old has also been accused of establishing the IS branch in Bahrain and recruiting teenagers with the help of his two brothers Abdullah Al Binali and Ali Al Binali, who are also implicated in the same case. 

He is said to have helped 22 Bahrainis, aged between 16 to 26, travel to Syria and Iraq where they received militia training and took part in armed conflict alongside IS militias.

The defendants allegedly planned to carry out terror attacks in Bahrain as part of an IS scheme to overthrow governments in the region, causing sectarianism and targeting civilians, according to court documents. 

Prosecutors revealed that one of the group’s targets was the A’ali Grand Mosque and the plan was to have a suicide bomber sneak into the facility during prayers. 

The attack aimed to “kill as many Shi’ites as possible”, read prosecution files. 

“Turki Al Binali established the terrorist group Daesh in Bahrain and recruited Bahraini teenagers and made them join the ranks of IS,” said a 28-year-old lieutenant, who investigated the group’s activities in Bahrain, in his statement to the Public Prosecution.

“He also helped them travel to Iraq and Syria and provided them with militia training in camps belonging to the terrorist group.

“The recruits fought alongside IS members while Turki Al Binali published several books with the ideology of this terrorist group.

“He is the first and main person responsible for the terrorist group in Bahrain and he became the legitimate theoriser of the illicit group.

“He communicated with his co-defendants using social media.

“One of the defendants was instructed to carry out a suicide bombing in A’ali Grand Mosque to kill as many Shi’ites as possible.

“Two other defendants knew about the plan and helped him.

“However, they were arrested on January 16 before they could commit the terrorist attack.” 

Prosecutors also revealed that Bahraini Salman Olayan Al A’shban, who was reportedly killed fighting with IS in Iraq in July, recruited three of the defendants and helped them travel to Iraq and Syria.

Accused

Another defendant is a 42-year-old school teacher who was said to have incited his students to join the ranks of IS and take up arms alongside the militia groups.

Three other defendants have been accused of inciting public security officials, including Interior Ministry and BDF personnel, of disobeying their superiors and giving up their duties, while one was accused of possessing a sword.

Images and video footage of the defendants posing with rifles, IS banners, pledging allegiance to the terrorist group and calling on Bahrainis to migrate to Syria were attached to court documents as evidence.

In one of the more gruesome pictures, one of the recruits is seen holding a decapitated head.

The defendants in custody were escorted into the courtroom by police yesterday along with their defence lawyers Abdullah Hashim, Manar Al Tamimi and Shaima Mohammed.

The court adjourned the trial to January 5 for review. 

The GDN earlier reported that Abdullah Al Binali was on trial in a different case for attempting to flee Bahrain using his friend’s passport.

Another Bahraini, aged 22, is also on trial in a separate case for allegedly promoting extremist IS ideologies on social media.

Following suicide bombings at Shi’ite mosques in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait by IS radicals in July, Bahrain hosted unity prayers at the A’ali Grand Mosque and the Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Centre (Grand Mosque), where Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims gathered in defiance of extremism and sectarianism.

noorz@gdn.com.bh