Bahrain once again adjourns trial of opposition leader
The trial of Bahrain’s detained opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, which was set to resume on Wednesday, has been adjourned until May 20.
According to reports on Wednesday, the trial was expected to include testimony from key defense witnesses.
Sheikh Salman, who serves as the secretary general of Bahrain’s main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, was arrested in December 2014 on charges of seeking regime change and collaborating with foreign powers. Salman and his party have vehemently rejected the allegation.
His lawyer Abdullah al-Shamlawi has said the case against Salman is politically motivated and lacks legitimate legal basis.
Jalila Alsayed, another one of his lawyers, has also said, “We strongly believe that Sheikh Ali never had the intention of calling for the overthrow of the regime by force and never called for violence, because he is not convinced of such an approach.”
In late May, a court in Bahrain adjourned Salman’s trial until April 22 and extended his remand.
The opposition leader’s arrest has triggered condemnation inside and outside Bahrain, with leaders, governments and international organizations across the world calling for his immediate release.
Bahrain has witnessed protests on an almost daily basis against the Al Khalifa regime since early 2011.
The Manama regime has been severely criticized by human rights groups for its harsh crackdown on the anti-government protesters, which has claimed the lives of scores of people so far.
Amnesty International in its recent report titled, “Behind the Rhetoric: Human rights abuses in Bahrain continue unabated,” censured Manama for resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions, and the excessive use of force against peaceful government critics, including some as young as 17.
MR/HSN/SS
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