Bahrain’s Public Prosecution has revealed findings from its investigation into a network it says is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ordering the detention of 41 suspects and freezing their financial accounts.
The prosecution said the organisation is made up of members from the dissolved Scholars’ Council and operates to spread the doctrine of velayat-e faqih, or guardianship of the Islamic jurist, which places loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader above allegiance to Bahrain and its laws. Investigators said the group sought to extend Iranian influence over Bahraini domestic affairs by taking control of mosques, mourning halls, and religious seminaries, using those platforms to distribute extremist material and deliver incitement against national interests.
The prosecution also said the group worked to silence clerics who opposed the velayat-e faqih ideology, targeting them with religious rulings, marginalisation, and, in some cases, threats of violence. Members are further accused of raising funds and directing those funds toward financing the network’s activities, stoking public unrest, and committing acts of terrorism, rioting, and sabotage.
In addition to detaining all 41 suspects on remand, the prosecution ordered the disclosure of their confidential bank records, froze their accounts, and seized their assets. Investigators also said they recovered a number of publications promoting velayat-e faqih ideology during the operation. The prosecution said the evidence gathered points to multiple offences against national security, social stability, and financial law.
