Bahraini protesters demand release of Sheikh Salman

Bahraini protesters have once again taken to the streets to express resentment with the continued detention of the leading opposition figure and religious scholar, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Demonstrators held a rally in the northwestern village of Diraz, about 12 km southeast of the capital, Manama, following Friday prayers, demanding the release of Sheikh Salman, who heads Bahrain’s main opposition bloc al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.

The protesters, carrying portraits of Sheikh Salman and Bahrain’s national flags, also called for the immediate release of all political dissidents currently being held in Aal-e Khalifah regime’s detention facilities.

Sheikh Salman was arrested on December 28, 2014, on charges of attempting to overthrow the Manama regime and collaborating with foreign powers. He denies the charges, saying he has been seeking reforms in the Persian Gulf island State through peaceful means.

In June 2015, a Bahraini court sentenced him to four years in prison on charges such as insulting the Bahraini Interior Ministry and inciting others to break the law. He was acquitted of seeking regime change.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has repeatedly called on the Manama regime to immediately release the al-Wefaq leader.

SS