Bahrain hands life sentence to man convicted of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah

The chief of Bahrain's Terror Crimes Prosecution announced Sunday that the High Criminal Court had delivered its verdict against a defendant convicted of "seeking and communicating with the terrorist organizations of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah, obtaining vital data and handing it over to a foreign state with the intent of carrying out terrorist and hostile acts against the Kingdom of Bahrain and harming its interests, in addition to advocating and supporting terrorist and hostile acts against the kingdom." The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered the confiscation of seized items.

According to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the case began when intelligence gathered by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Evidence revealed that Hezbollah had recruited the defendant, who was inside Bahrain, to carry out domestic terrorist operations after he sought to join the organization. He was tasked with sending information, photographs, and video footage documenting the results of what the prosecution described as "the brutal Iranian aggression against the Kingdom of Bahrain" to electronic accounts managed from within Iran under the supervision of the Revolutionary Guard and Iranian intelligence agencies, at their request. The prosecution stated that this material benefited the enemy and threatened the kingdom's security, safety, and the lives of its citizens and residents.

Upon receiving the report, the Public Prosecution launched an investigation, interrogating the defendant, who provided a detailed confession to the charges against him. Authorities also heard witness testimony and appointed technical experts to examine the seized electronic devices. The forensic examination results confirmed the defendant's involvement in the alleged offenses. Based on these findings, the prosecution ordered his detention and referral to the High Criminal Court, which issued its verdict in Sunday's session.

The case was heard over multiple court sessions, during which all legal guarantees were observed, including the presence of the defendant's lawyer and the opportunity to present his defense, in full compliance with the legal standards for a fair trial.

The Public Prosecution emphasized that "protecting the supreme interests of the Kingdom of Bahrain, preserving its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity is a national duty imposed by the provisions of the law, and that communicating with foreign entities or states or working for them in a manner that harms state security or impairs its independence constitutes a crime against state security, warranting criminal accountability."

The prosecution further affirmed its "continued firm stance against all acts that undermine the country's security and stability, and its pursuit of anyone proven to be involved through participation, incitement, or assistance, considering these serious crimes for which the law prescribes severe penalties that may reach the death penalty."