Bahrain charges opposition figure with ‘inciting hatred’

Bahrain has charged a prominent opposition leader with “inciting hatred" against the Manama regime after his interview with The Associated Press during a visit by Britain's Prince Charles to the Persian Gulf country.

In the Friday interview, Ebrahim Sharif of the Waad party voiced fears that Charles’ visit may "whitewash” Bahrain’s ongoing crackdown against dissent. He also suggested that the regime should agree on a power-sharing system with political parties to counter the worsening financial pressure resulting from low oil prices.

On Sunday, Bahrain's public prosecution released at statement announcing that it had questioned an unnamed person over recent remarks made to the foreign press.

"The public prosecution ordered his release after charging him with openly inciting hatred of the political system in Bahrain and with contempt," noted the statement.

Following the statement, the Waad party and Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy confirmed that the unnamed person had been Sharif.

"Prince Charles was criticized for participating in a blatant PR exercise for the Bahraini regime..Now in connection to his visit, Bahrain is prosecuting Ebrahim Sharif," said the rights’ groups spokesman Sayed Alwadaei.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of Aal-e Khalifah regime’s crackdown on anti-regime activists.

SS