Manama, Dec. 17 (BNA): Chief of Public Security Major-General Tariq Al Hassan stated that the Interior Ministry is closely monitoring the trial of Abdulrauf Al Shayeb by the UK judiciary for terrorist charges, hailing the legal steps taken against him.

He highlighted that Bahrain’s security authorities are continuously in touch with their British counterpart to exchange security expertise and information.
He said that according to the confessions of Al Shayeb during the trial, he leads the terrorist February 14 group and he is its official spokesperson. Al Shayeb also admitted that he and the group members living abroad are moving between Iran, Iraq and Lebanon to get financial, moral and training support on the use of weapons and explosives to carry out terrorist acts in Bahrain.

The Chief of Public Security added that Al Shayeb is wanted in many serious terrorist cases, including assistance in smuggling terrorists accused of perpetrating terror crimes in Bahrain, recruitment of terrorists and arranging for them to receive training at foreign camps on smuggling and using weapons and explosives. He said that Al Shayeb and other terrorists are exploiting facilities the UK provides for human rights activists in committing serious terrorist acts.

The Interior Ministry announced on 12 June 2013 that as part of uncovering several serious crimes which occurred recently, many members of February 14 groups were identified, and a number of its field leaders and masterminds were arrested for involvement in serious terrorist crimes.

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BNA 0613 GMT 2015/12/17