AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Lualua TV
Thursday

7 June 2018

8:20:50 AM
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Amnesty calls for release of Bahrain’s opposition leader 'Sheikh Ali Salman' ahead of expected verdict

Amnesty International reiterated its calls for Manama to drop all charges against Bahrain’s opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman and “release him immediately and unconditionally.”

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Amnesty International reiterated its calls for Manama to drop all charges against Bahrain’s opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman and “release him immediately and unconditionally.”

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, the rights group described Sheikh Salman as a “prisoner of conscience”.

The post comes two weeks ahead of an expected verdict in the opposition leader’s espionage trail, which could see the court hand down the death penalty.

Sheikh Salman, who is already serving a 4-year prison term, was charged with “spying for the state of Qatar” last November.

The charges in the case stem from an open and well-documented mediation attempt, which was encouraged by Manama and its allies during Bahrain’s popular uprising in 2011.

The diplomatic initiative, directly sanctioned by the Bahraini monarch, succeeded in establishing preliminary communications between Qatar – as a potential mediator – and the Bahraini government and opposition.

Sheikh Salman was jailed in December 2014 for allegedly inciting hatred against the regime.




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