Bahrain’s High Criminal Court has issued a decisive ruling in a major national security case, sentencing nine defendants to life imprisonment for espionage linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while handing three-year prison terms to the remaining defendants, alongside confiscation of seized materials, reinforcing the kingdom’s firm stance against terrorism-related threats.

According to the Bahrain News Agency, the Head of Terror Crimes Prosecution confirmed that the court reviewed two separate cases involving eleven defendants accused of collaborating with a designated terrorist organization with the intent to carry out hostile operations targeting Bahrain’s security and strategic interests, leading to the issuance of final verdicts after full legal proceedings.

In the first case, investigations uncovered an organized network led by a fugitive operative affiliated with the IRGC, who recruited an individual inside Bahrain and tasked him with surveilling and documenting sensitive infrastructure, using rented accommodations as operational bases to gather and transmit intelligence abroad in a coordinated manner.

Further findings revealed the involvement of a third defendant specializing in financial transfers and cryptocurrency operations, who facilitated funding channels through regional and international bank accounts, converting Iranian currency into local funds to support operational activities, while additional accomplices provided logistical cover to obscure the surveillance missions despite full awareness of their illicit nature.

The second case centered on domestic recruitment efforts, where one defendant successfully enlisted four others inside Bahrain to conduct surveillance and intelligence gathering on key installations, forming part of a broader scheme aimed at undermining national stability, before authorities intervened, leading to prosecution and final sentencing following multiple hearings that upheld due process and defense rights.