Bahrain Mirror: A Bahraini court will issue its verdict on Wednesday (February 24, 2016) against the prominent political dissenter Ebrahim Sharif, the former Secretary-General of Wa'ad Society, whom the authorities accuse of promoting the change of the regime, which is a charge often raised b y Bahraini authorities against those who call for a transition to democratic rule.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) had called on the Bahraini authorities, in a statement last Wednesday, to immediately release Sharif. "Most high-profile critics of the government are in jail or in exile, yet Bahrain's allies in Europe and the United States babble on about a reform process," said Joe Stork, the HRW deputy Middle East and North Africa director. "Anyone with an Internet connection can see for themselves just how ridiculous these charges are," he added.

Sharif is accused of advocating "the overthrow of the regime" and "expressly inciting others to develop hatred or hostility towards the government," over a speech he delivered a day before his arrest, according to his lawyer. HRW saw that "the speech constitutes the only evidence that prosecutors have supplied to support the charges," stressing that it "could not find any language suggesting that Sharif called for violence."

Arabic Issue