The Bahraini regime has issued a 6 month jail term against Sayed Jameel Kadhim, president of Al Wefaq consultative council, for a Tweet in which he spoke of “political-money” offered to a citizen ahead of the previous elections in Bahrain.
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society considers the ruling to be vengeful and politically-motivated within the regime’s ongoing reprisal against dissidents. The ruling against Kadhim demonstrates an escalation against the opposition and the people, given that he is a prominent leader in Bahrain.
Kadhim is a former MP who won both 2006 and 2010 elections. He was among 18 MPs of Al Wefaq bloc who walked out of parliament in protest to the brutal crackdown on wide anti-government protests in Manama. Kadhim was also the opposition’s representative in the previous dialogues. His prosecution demonstrates that the regime does not believe in dialogue, but rather takes arbitrary measures against dissidents. This was the very same approach by which the Secretary General of Al Wefaq was arrested.
Al Wefaq outlines that the trial lacked international standards of due process as the court refused to consider the testimonies of the witnesses who confirmed the political-money offer had actually happened as Kadhim tweeted. The ruling was issued although Salim Alkawary, the president of the judicial authority, stated that those who spoke of political-money offers will not be prosecuted, this puts the credibility of this system under doubt.
Al Wefaq categorizes the ruling as a violation to free speech and political activism and reminds the international community of its responsibility to protect human rights in Bahrain.
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