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Bahrain Shiite opposition leader loses appeal against life term
DUBAI, Jan 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Bahrain’s supreme court on Monday upheld a
life sentence for opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman for spying for Gulf
rival Qatar, a decision his party slammed as “political revenge”.
Salman, who headed the Shiite Al-Wefaq group, was convicted by an appeals
court in November in a ruling that rights groups called a travesty.
The supreme court confirmed the verdict against Salman and two of his
aides for “spying for a foreign state in order to… overthrow the
government”, according to a statement released by public prosecutor Osama al-
Awfi.
Bahrain in 2017 cut all ties with Qatar as part of a Saudi-led boycott in
response to what Riyadh and its allies say are Doha’s policies on Iran and
Islamist groups.
A tiny Gulf archipelago, allied with the US and located between regional
rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, the kingdom of Bahrain has been hit by waves of
unrest since 2011, when security forces crushed Shiite-led protests demanding
an elected prime minister. Hundreds of activists have since been jailed and
some stripped of citizenship over what the government says is “terrorism”
linked to Iran.
Human rights groups have frequently said cases against activists in
Bahrain — men and women, religious and secular — fail to meet the basic
standards of fair trials.
– ‘Complete farce’ –
Salman’s opposition group, Al-Wefaq, was dissolved by court order in
2016. The cleric is currently serving a four-year sentence in a separate case
on charges of “inciting hatred” in the kingdom.
Al-Wefaq on Monday issued a statement slamming the verdict against Salman
as “political revenge”.
“The majority of Bahrainis hold firm to the need to move from a tyrannical
regime to a democracy,” the group said.
Amnesty International said the verdict “exposes the country’s justice
system as a complete farce” and called on officials to release Salman and
rescind a ban on the two main opposition groups.
“The decision to uphold Sheikh Ali Salman’s conviction and life prison
sentence following an unfair trial highlights the authorities’ determination
to silence critical voices,” said Samah Hadid, Amnesty’s Middle East
campaigns director.
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have categorised Salman and other jailed
opposition leaders as prisoners of conscience.
In addition to Al-Wefaq, the kingdom has banned the secular National
Democratic Action Society, or Al-Waad, over allegations of links to
terrorists.
Both opposition groups are denied representation in parliament.
Bahraini activist Sayed Alwadaei, advocacy director for the London-based
Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, said Monday’s verdict was “an
insult to justice”. – Aides sentenced in absentia –
Salman’s aides Ali al-Aswad and Hassan Sultan, who had been sentenced to
life in absentia, also lost their appeals Monday. Both men are former members
of parliament and reside outside Bahrain.
Qatar has repeatedly denied accusations of conspiring against Bahrain with
Salman.
The Gulf diplomatic row is now in its second year. Doha has denied
accusations it supports Iran and radical Islamist groups. Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have banned their citizens from travel to
Qatar.
Ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, Bahrain
has a majority Shiite Muslim population according to unofficial estimates
contested by the government.
Bahraini authorities accuse Tehran of inciting anti-government rallies and
have said jailed protesters have been trained in and armed by Iran, which
denies the allegations.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday denounced the
verdict and said Bahrain’s authorities should “refrain from acts that could
cause instability in their country”.
“We do not interfere in the internal affairs of Bahrain, but we have
advised Bahraini officials that in order to guarantee their rule they need to
recognise the rights of all the people,” he said.
In June, Bahrain amended its law on political rights, prohibiting leaders
and members of dissolved political associations from running in legislative
elections.
The king last year signed off on a decree granting military courts the
right to try civilians accused of “terrorism”, a vague legal term.
Bahrain, a vital link for Western militaries, is home to the US Navy’s
Fifth Fleet as well as a permanent British base.
US President Donald Trump has eased restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain
since taking office.
Washington had urged Bahrain’s high court not to overturn an earlier
decision to acquit Salman of the spying charges, but the acquital was
reversed after an appeal by prosecutors.
BSS/AFP/RY/1938 hrs