Bahrain's al-Wafaq:

Charges against Sheikh Ali Salman baseless

Rasa - Bahrain’s al-Wafaq National Islamic Society described the charges made against the Bahraini opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, as ‘baseless and false.’

News ID: 434769

Date: 15 November 2017 - 09:01

RNA - The Bahraini opposition group, al-Wafaq National Islamic Society, described the charges made by the Al-Khalifa regime against Sheikh Ali Salman, the secretary general of the opposition group, along with two former members of the parliament, as ‘absurd and baseless.’

Al-Wifah Al-Watani, in a statement, emphasized that repeating such allegations reflects the critical situation that the Al-Khalifa regime is facing today.

"Creating crisis by putting the revolutionaries under pressure will not prevent the oppositions of the al-Khalifa regime from appealing to nationalism foundations. Al-Khalifa must admit that the revolutionaries are a key partner in building Bahrain’s political future,” the statement reads.

The opposition party of Bahrain, mentioning Al-Khalifa's ‘illegal crackdown on peaceful protesters,’ said: “Al-Khalifa's actions will ultimately force the regime to establish a constitution-based government, accept the people's will and opinion and transfer from a monarchy system to a democratic system.”

Al-Wafaq al-Watani of Bahrain, at the end of the statement, emphasizing the necessity of nationalism and preservation of national unity, called for ‘an end to plunder of national wealth by Al-Khalifa, crackdown revolutionaries, violation of human rights, killing innocent people,’ and also demanded ‘reform of the judicial structure of the country.’

The opposition chief has been in jail on a nine-year prison sentence since late 2014 for what the Manama regime has called “insulting” government officials, “inciting” unrest through his speeches targeting the authorities during the 2011 uprising, attempting to overthrow the regime and collaborating with foreign powers.

Al-Wefaq was the largest group in Bahrain’s parliament before its legislators resigned en masse to voice their strong dissent against the pervasive crushing of demonstrations in 2011 that called for an elected government.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters belonging to the Shia majority have been holding demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the kingdom in early 2011.

Manama has spared no effort to clamp down on dissent and human rights activists. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to Bahrain to assist Manama in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown.