Bahrain Court Sentences Six to Death for Attempted Murder

On Monday, Bahrain's military court sentenced six Shia Muslims to death for forming a terrorist group and plotting to assassinate an army officer. Their citizenship was also revoked. According to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press citing Bahraini media, these six individuals are accused of carrying out several attacks and attempting to assassinate the commander of Bahrain's army. The court also sentenced seven others related to the case to seven years in prison and revoked their citizenship. Meanwhile, five individuals were acquitted. According to a statement from the Bahraini prosecutor's office, eight of the accused managed to flee to Iran and Iraq, and therefore their trial was conducted in absentia. However, the statement does not specify how many of these eight were sentenced to death. In recent years, Bahrain has repeatedly accused Iran of organizing militia groups in the country and conducting terrorist operations, which Iran denies. Earlier this year, the Bahraini government announced that it had identified a 'terrorist group linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard' and arrested its members, claiming the group was involved in an attack on a police bus, a charge Iran dismissed as 'baseless and unfounded.' Last winter, Bahrain executed three Shia individuals accused of killing three police officers, marking the first executions in two decades, which sparked protests in the country. Bahrain has been experiencing unrest and protests from its Shia majority for about seven years, demanding a more significant role in the governance of the country.