Bahrain Mirror: The Secretariat of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society called for international and regional support (June 16, 2015) to establish a serious national dialogue and negotiation to end the political predicament that has engulfed the country after the failure of the national dialogue. Al-Wefaq also called for halting the destructive security options, and forming a UN international inquiry commission to look into the unsolved problems and human rights violations.

The Secretariat said in a statement issued after its secretary-general was sentenced to four years in prison, which was delivered by Khalil Al-Marzooq, the Deputy Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq: "We have been calling for reform. Such reforms entail an end to all forms of authoritarianism, oppression, corruption, discrimination and marginalization to found a well-based modern state."

"The interest of the homeland and the citizens were highly considered from the first day Al-Wefaq was founded, whether through participation in the political process or through the boycott of elections or through peaceful civilized demonstrations," the statement added.

Al-Wefaq's statement also stressed that: "Al-Wefaq will stick to its project of maintaining this homeland despite all arrests and despite the systematic targeting of our society. Some have abandoned this path for personal interests but we remained to push for a homeland that provides its citizens with peace and security."

"Because of his patriotic history and refusal to recess it, Sheikh Ali Salman was arrested and sentenced to 4 years in prison. Sheikh Ali has been attacked with attempts of defamation inside and outside Bahrain, and which included various types of immoral means not only against him, but against Al-Wefaq, the national opposition powers and the political majority of the people in Bahrain," the statement further read.

The secretariat also voiced its determination, stressing: "We, in Al Wefaq, strongly reject any verdict that does not acquit Sheikh Ali Salman and we will consider it void. We will consider such a conviction to lack legal bases, unjust and unsound. We hereby stress that we will continue calling for our rights with the same humanitarian and civilized strategy that adopted by Sheikh Ali Salman. The strategy that considers the homeland's interests over the narrow personal interests. The strategy that considers national unity, peace, security, nonviolent movement, equality and justice for all. And which fights corruption, oppression, discrimination, poverty and terror. We will not stop calling for our legitimate rights which can lead Bahrain to a democracy, even if we have to offer more sacrifices."

"We stress that keeping Sheikh Ali Salman in jail means that the political crisis will remain unresolved. A political consensus will not be reached. We stress that this is an irresponsible decision which reflects the regime refusal to genuine dialogue and political solution. Furthermore, it will only lead to more complications on all levels. We strongly emphasize that the executive, legislative and judicial powers should be ratified by the people to enjoy independency and real representation of people. Reaching a national consensus that leads to a constructive engagement is a necessity to end the unilateral control of these three powers. This can only be achieved through real reforms to make the people the source of all powers and to end the current marginalization of the citizens and alienation from decision-making," Al-Wefaq added.

The secretariat also demanded "international and regional support to establish dialogue and negotiation to end the political predicament that has engulfed the country. As the authorities rely on the security option to deal with this problem, all attempts to restore national dialogue have failed due to the absence of confidence and the authority's mishandling of the political problem. The arrest and conviction of Sheikh Ali Salman is vivid example of this."

Al-Wefaq called for "working to halt the destructive security options that target the majority of the people leaving them insecure and lacking the basic needs for an ordinary stable life, to reach an agreement to form a UN international inquiry commission, similar to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), to look into the unsolved problems, issues of disagreement, human rights violations to pave the way for national reconciliation and a transitional justice that can be a considerable exit to the political and human rights crisis in Bahrain."

Al-Wefaq also declared its adoption of the recommendations included in the June 5th statement of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, which included: "releasing Sheikh Ali Salman, Nabeel Rajab and all prisoners of conscience, opening a transparent and impartial investigation into the abuses of Jaw prison, halting the security option and launching a genuine dialogue between the ruling authority and the opposition, implementing the recommendations of the BICI report and the HRC's Universal Periodic Review as well as creating a suitable environment for an inclusive national reconciliation."

The Arabic Issue