The Bahraini regime has summoned Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq and his political assistant Khalil Almarzooq. The move comes after expelling Mr. Tom Malinowski, Assistant Secretary for Democracy and Human Rights at the State Department, for meeting with the opposition in a Sunday Ramadan reception along with senior officials from the US embassy in Manama.
The Bahraini opposition parties wondered what the regime is aiming for through this step, especially as the opposition and international parties try to push for genuine dialogue to take Bahrain out of its crisis.
Heavily armed forces handed summons to Sheikh Ali Salman and Khalil Almarzooq at their houses to appear at the criminal intelligence Wednesdaymorning, 9th July 2014.
The summons did not include the reason they have requested to appear for interrogation in spite it being a legal necessity.
The summons come within the regime’s targeting of the peaceful and civilized activism demanding democracy.
The repeated summoning of opposition leaders are a means to elude solution and political dialogue and silence the people who are calling for democratic transition. The regime is attempting to change the path of developments and block potential opportunities for solution.
The Bahraini regime has become used to exploiting power to ban and expropriate freedom of expression and opinion. There, the responsibility lies on the international community, especially influential States, to stop the regime’s recklessness and push for real dialogue for political solution.
Manama- 9th July 2014
National Democratic Opposition Parties
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society (AlWefaq)
National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
The National Progressive Tribune Society (Taqadomi)
National Democratic Gathering Society (AlQawmi)
Ekhaa National Society (Ekhaa)
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