Charges against Sheikh Salman not verifiable

A prominent Bahraini Shi’ite scholar has condemned the prosecution of Shaykh Ali Salman, adding that none of the charges brought against Shaykh Salman by the Al Khalifa regime were correct and verifiable, and thus the sentence against him is unjust.

Hujjat al-Islam Abdullah al-Daqqaq, the representative of Ayatollah Issa Qassem in Iran, examined the causes and effects of the prison sentence against Shaykh Ali Salman, the secretary-general of Bahrain’s al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.

On Tuesday, Bahrain condemned Shaykh Salman to four years in prison on charges related to the alleged incitement against the ruling system. “The regime is pushing toward aggravation and issued a four-year prison sentence on the Bahraini opposition leader, Shaykh Ali Salman,” the al-Wefaq party said on its official Twitter account.

Hujjat al-Islam al-Daqqaq explained that the Al Khalifa regime charged Shaykh Ali Salman with attempting to overthrow the government and inciting the people but added that a Bahraini court had earlier acquitted Shaykh Salman of the charge of attempting to overthrow the government, only charging him with inciting the people to overthrow the government and sentencing him to four years in prison.

The representative of the Ayatollah Isa Qasem in Iran pointed out that the people of the tiny Persian Gulf country will not remain silent in the face of this unjust sentence and stated that today, protests will be held across Bahrain. Shaykh Salman said he will press ahead with his peaceful drive to restore the rights of people.

Hujjat al-Islam al-Daqqaq strongly condemned the trial of Shaykh Salman by stressing that prominent human rights organizations and international organizations, including Amnesty International, had issued statements condemning the prison sentence on the leader of al-Wefaq.

He added that none of the charges brought against Shaykh Salman by the Al Khalifa regime were correct and verifiable, and thus the sentence against him is unjust.

The representative of Shaykh Ali Salman was informed of solidarity protests that were planned in the Iranian holy city of Qom, and added: “In the coming few days, Bahraini scholars studying in Qom will hold ceremonies and listen to a speech from Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Husayn al-Dayhi, the deputy secretary-general of al-Wefaq, via video conference.”

Hujjat al-Islam al-Daqqaq said the arrest and sentence issued against Shaykh Salman cannot be used by the Bahraini regime as a ploy to arrest Ayatollah Isa Qasim, al-Wefaq’s spiritual leader, in the near future, because if they prosecute Shaykh Salman, the people of Bahrain will protest strongly against the government. “Thus, the regime will not be able to carry out such a crime,” he explained.

His Eminence emphasized that the Al Khalifa do not have the power to divert the Bahraini peoples’ revolution and added that the people of this country pay attention to the arrests of their political and religious leaders, such as Shaykh Salman and Nabeel Rajab, and are strongly committed to the ideals and goals of their revolution and continue to work for its victory.

He added that one of the objectives of the sentence against Shaykh Salman was to subdue the people of Bahrain, saying: “The Al Khalifa regime will not reach their sinister goals by arresting Shaykh Salman and they do not have the power to subdue the people of Bahrain.”

In conclusion, the representative of Ayatollah Isa Qasem in Iran said stressed: “We will appeal to the international justice system and will refer the sentence on Shaykh Ali Salman to them.”


/257