Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's main opposition group, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society said that "the Bahraini regime's courts handed down on Tuesday (June 16, 2015) a four-year jail sentence to the national figure and leader of the main political movement in the Gulf region, Sheikh Ali Salman, for demanding democracy and protesting against tyranny," depicting the trial as "historical and political".

In a statement it released after the court verdict, Al-Wefaq rejected the ruling, deeming the sentence as "null and lacking any legal grounds or judicial consideration according to the defense panel which is made up of senior attorneys and based on what the international organizations and institutions stated concerning this trial, mainly the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that closely followed the developments of the arrest and trial."

"This verdict to imprison Sheikh Ali Salman (for four years) has no value judicially and politically because it is part of a security campaign against every person demanding legitimate rights, for it is not restricted to Sheikh Ali Salman himself, but is a ruling against the majority of the people of Bahrain who adopt Sheikh Ali Salman's approach in demanding democratic transition, justice and dignity," the statement further read.

"The sentence against Sheikh Ali Salman represents a trial against the Bahraini people's legitimate demands and patriotic stances. The verdict is considered a trial against national unity, peaceful and moderate approach, and the demands of the Bahraini people's political majority to achieve democracy and respect of human rights," Al-Wefaq statement added.

"This verdict shows that hundreds of other jail sentences of thousands of years issued against hundreds of citizens are null, legally void and are delivered based on void judicial procedures. If the trial of this national leader prevented him from proving his innocence, depended on only one witness, did not look into the forgery complaint filed by the defense panel against the witness, did not allow his lawyers to enter their plea and did not allow him to enter his, then what is the case of thousands of other sentences that reach up to dozens of years, death sentences and other sentences as well," Al-Wefaq said.

Al-Wefaq also stressed that "the movement will carry on, the legitimate just popular demands will continue to be called for and will not change, and the people will not return to their homes and will not back down," describing "the sentence against Sheikh Ali Salman as Nelson Mandela's sentence. His case is a national issue. It is an issue of people's rights and the demands of people do not change if a leader is arrested. On the contrary, the arrest and jail sentence encourages the people even more to be determined to achieve these demands."

"The period of the jail sentences gives the crises a new age and gives more legitimacy to the movement. The people have no choice but to continue their popular movement that doesn't stop at these points but carries on and grows. Following this verdict, it is now obvious and clear that the executive, legislative and judicial authorities require radical change and reform. We will continue to call for this and will not stop," Al-Wefaq further stressed.

Al-Wefaq also stated that this verdict is "a message not only to the opposition and Bahraini people but to the international community as well and all human rights organizations and even a number of Gulf, Arab, Islamic regimes and nations who know very well the demands of the Bahraini people and know Sheikh Ali Salman's approach."

Al-Wefaq ended its statement by saying: "The popular demands are stronger than ever and we have no choice but to move forward faster and continue to call for an elected government with full authority, a just independent judicial system and security for everyone."

Arabic Issue