Bahrain: The Panel of Defense statement on the continued detention of Sheikh Ali Salman, without submission to the Prosecution

The Panel of Defense expresses its deep concern over the continuation of the detention of Sheikh Ali Salman, the Secretary General of Alwefaq National Islamic Society, the largest Opposition society in Bahrain, after being summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Interior to attend this morning without  mentioning the causes.

The Lawyers of the Panel were prevented  from attending the investigation with Sheikh Ali Salman and were asked to leave, and then they were asked to come again but were denied access for the second time, and then they were asked to attend the third time but only one of their colleagues were allowed to join Sheikh Ali Salman during the investigation. Following  this procedure, almost Four O’clock in the evening, the investigator informed the attended colleague to go to the Prosecution building as Sheikh Ali will be transferred to the Public Prosecutor today.

Immediately, members of the Defense Panel went to the Prosecution building, and after waiting for a long time, they were asked to meet the Chief Prosecutor, but they refused and a security officer told them that he would contact them immediately once they bring Sheikh Ali to the Prosecution building and he requested the Lawyers to leave their phone numbers before leaving the Prosecution building.

The Panel of Defense is deeply concerned about the continued detention of Sheikh Ali Salman without being transferred  immediately to the Prosecutor as confirmed by the Interior Ministry officer, who was in charge of the investigation that lasted for more than nine hours , especially that Sheikh Ali Salman did not missed attending whenever summoned either by the Ministry of the Interior or by the Public Prosecutor in all previous years, and particularly in repeated summons since last year. This shows that he is not only confidence in the integrity of his legal position, but a commitment to his role as Secretary General for a political society that has weight on the political work and its declared national  statement for peaceful democracy reform and participation in all authorities through genuine political reform in the country.


The Panel of Defense

Hassan Radhi – Mohammed Ahmed – Abdullah Alshamlawi – Jalil Alaradi – Jalila Alsayed



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