Bahrain authorities reveal details of alleged IRGC-linked network
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Bahrain’s Public Prosecution on Sunday revealed what it said are the preliminary findings from its investigation into a 41-member network allegedly tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The group, formed from members of a dissolved council of Islamic scholars and their associates, is accused of promoting extremist ideas that prioritize loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader over the Bahraini state, according to the statement.
Authorities claim the network sought to exert control over mosques, mourning halls, and religious seminaries to spread incitement, recruit individuals for ideological training in Iran, and undermine national institutions.
According to the statement by the Attorney General, head of the Terrorism Crimes Prosecution, the suspects engaged in several alleged activities: delivering inflammatory sermons against national interests, issuing fatwas and threats — including violent ones — against dissenting clerics, collecting funds for the organization, and transferring money to support terrorist groups in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Some funds were reportedly diverted for personal use, including purchases of gold, real estate, cars, and educational expenses.
The 41 individuals were arrested earlier in May following security operations. They have remained in custody since.
In recent weeks, Bahraini courts have issued life sentences to multiple defendants convicted of collaborating with the IRGC on espionage, information gathering on sensitive sites.
The arrests and prosecutions come amid heightened regional tensions between Gulf states and Iran, as the latter carried out several strikes and attacks saying they are retaliation for US-‘Israeli’ strikes on the Islamic Republic in February.
