Bahrain sentences 12 to 10 years for supporting Iranian attacks

Bahrain's High Criminal Court on Monday sentenced 12 defendants to 10 years in prison for crimes including supporting Iranian attacks on the Gulf kingdom and broadcasting prohibited data, according to the state news agency BNA.

Court details terror support charges

The court said the individuals had "committed crimes of supporting, encouraging, and endorsing the heinous Iranian terrorist attacks on the Kingdom of Bahrain," adding that they had obtained and broadcast prohibited vital data, photographed restricted locations and spread false news via social media during the "brutal Iranian aggression" on the kingdom, BNA reported.

Forensic evidence seals conviction

An investigation identified the accused, prompting the Public Prosecution to open a case and question the suspects alongside witness testimony, BNA said. Prosecutors commissioned forensic examinations of seized electronic devices, and "the results of which confirmed that the accused had committed the acts attributed to them," the agency added.

Regional ceasefire follows escalation

Regional tensions spiked in late February when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people and prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes on Gulf states including Bahrain and Israel while blocking the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said Sunday that an agreement with Iran had been finalized to halt hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, reopen the strategic waterway and end the American naval blockade on Iranian ports.