Bahrain sentences 24 over alleged IRGC spy network

Bahrain’s Supreme Criminal Court on May 12 sentenced 24 people convicted of espionage for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), supporting attacks linked to Iran, and carrying out acts of violence and sabotage targeting the kingdom. 

Three defendants received life sentences, while ten others were sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years. The court also ordered fines and the confiscation of assets connected to the case. Three foreign nationals convicted in the case are to be deported after completing their prison terms, Asharq Al-Awsat reports. 

Prosecutors said one of the main cases involved a woman accused of conducting espionage activities through social media. Investigators alleged that she shared photographs and coordinates of strategically sensitive locations in Bahrain, along with information considered harmful to the country’s military, political, and economic security. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In a separate case, authorities said investigations found that Iranian intelligence services and the IRGC had sent leaders of militant groups to Bahrain to surveil strategic sites across the country.

The head of Bahrain’s terrorism prosecution office said the kingdom would continue to impose strict penalties for crimes threatening national security and public order. He also warned that using social media platforms to justify terrorism or distribute prohibited information could result in criminal prosecution.

By Sabina Mammadli