Bahrain Swoops on Opposition Group, Accuses Hizbullah of Meddling in Internal Affairs
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Bahraini authorities announced Thursday they have identified and arrested leading members of the opposition February 14 Revolution Youth Coalition, an influential clandestine cyber-group accused of links to Iran.
"After an extensive investigation, several members of the February 14 terrorist organization were identified... (and) the main actors who took part in criminal acts have been arrested," the interior ministry said in a statement.
The February 14 Coalition has been the main motor behind a Shiite-led uprising that began in 2011 to demand more rights from the ruling Sunni dynasty.
The ministry identified the group's spiritual leader as Hadi al-Mudaressi, a leading Shiite cleric living in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala. He "provided divisive sectarian support to the organization," it said.
It named 11 of those arrested, saying they had played prominent roles in the coalition inside Bahrain, and said other members were still being sought.
The ministry also named 13 people it said were leading the coalition from abroad, some of whom are based in London.
Among these, it said, is Saeed Abdulnabi al-Shahabi "who is responsible for coordination with Iranian leaders.”
Shahabi is a Shiite opposition leader who has been sentenced to life in prison in absentia for his role in the 2011 uprising.
"They frequently travel between Iran, Iraq and Lebanon to obtain financial and moral support as well as weapons training," the ministry statement said.
These members contact leaders in Iran "to receive direct financial support and field instructions."
"The information presented shows the active role in incitement and terror acts and the support that is provided by extremist religious and political leaders from outside and inside Bahrain," said the statement.
Bahrain also accused Hizbullah -- listed as a "terrorist organization" by the kingdom -- and "extremists" in Iraq of interfering in its internal security affairs.
Tehran, which has repeatedly criticized the kingdom's crackdown on protesters, denies it is backing the uprising.
Bahrain's Shiites, mainly in response to calls by the February 14 Coalition, continue to demonstrate in their villages, frequently clashing with police.
A total of 80 people have been killed since the protests erupted, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.
13 June 2013, 12:17
104
God bless the Bahraini peaceful, democratic revolution! The end of the terrorist Bahraini regime is near!
13 June 2013, 18:20
20
Well when the Syrian people were demonstrating peacefully for over 6 months and the Syrian regime was shooting them down like birds you did you condemn the Syrian regime as terrorist and say god bless the peaceful Syrian people democratic revelation.
How can you be so blindly biased?
13 June 2013, 13:20
56
I beg the Gulf countries not to ship Hezbollah's sympathizers back to Lebanon. Just put them in jail or do whatever you want with them, but please don't send them back here.
13 June 2013, 15:55
34
I salute the great King of Bahrain, its government and armed forces for the excellent resolve they have shown in dealing with the subversion of these terrorist foreigners. I am sure the good Bahraini government will eliminate once and for all the scourge of mullah-inspired terrorism from Bahrain once and for all.
13 June 2013, 16:48
11
and how did they transport those weapons from abroad, as a clandistine youth movement, keeping in mind that Bahrain is an ISLAND, home of US NAVY in the Persian Gulf, and protected by Saudi troops?? Bahraini authorities must show a minimum of respect for the general intelligence of people when accusing the opposition and the whole world. They sound eerily like the ASSAD propaganda .
