Bahrain opposition leader undermines court decision to reduce prison sentence

The Secretary General of Bahrain's al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, undermined a court decision to reduce his prison sentence.

Sheikh Salman said that he considers freedom and democracy for Bahrain as a real breakthrough.

According to local sources, the Secretary General of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, undermined this step, saying that "the greatest breakthrough would be to achieve freedom and democracy for Bahrain", Bahrain Mirror reported.

Sheikh Ali Salman made the comments after the Court of Cassation's in Bahrain announced that prison sentence for the senior opposition figure has reduced from 9 years to 4 years.

Sheikh Salman reiterated his rejection to charges posed against him, in a phone call with his family.

Meanwhile, the King of Bahrain ratified a constitutional amendment that paves the way for military trials of civilians, in yet another example of Bahrain's efforts to dismantle access to justice and fair trial, said Amnesty International on its website.

"This constitutional amendment is a disaster for the future of fair trials and justice in Bahrain. It is part of a broader pattern where the government uses the courts to crackdown on all forms of opposition at the expense of human rights," said Lynn Maalouf, head of research at Amnesty International's regional office in Beirut.

EA