Aal-e Khalifa regime adjourns trial of three Bahraini religious scholars

Judiciary officials have postponed the trial of three Bahraini religious scholars amid the Aal-e Khalifah regime’s heavy-handed crackdown against prominent figures and followers of the majority religious community in the tiny Persian Gulf island State.

On Thursday, the authorities ordered that Sheikh Ali Hamali, Sheikh Emad al-Sho’lah and Sheikh Munir al-Ma’touq must remain under police custody pending further investigation and court appearance on September 20, Arabic-language Lualua television network reported.

The trio were arrested on August 9, and sentenced to 15 days in custody on charges of participation in anti-regime demonstrations.  

Bahraini authorities have either arrested or summoned tens of religious scholars over the past few months.

Bahraini clerics, in a statement titled “Those Barred from Praying” released on June 16, condemned the Manama regime’s efforts to restrict Shia Muslims’ freedom of religion and belief, describing the situation in the country as “deplorable.”

The statement said that the Aal-e Khalifah regime’s systematic suppression of the country's Shia Muslims had reached its highest level ever, and members of the kingdom’s largest religious community felt insecure and faced threats of arrest and prosecution if they sought to observe their religious rituals, primarily Friday and other congregational prayers.

SS