Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The defense panel of Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, described the trial against Bahrain's opposition leader as political.

The panel said in a statement (May 20, 2015) that "the trial is destined to end as it started. It is a political trial that was initiated by the interior minister's decision following the parliamentary election boycotted by opposition parties, and was stirred two days after the reelection of Sheikh Ali Salman as Al-Wefaq's secretary-general." The following is the full statement:

During the trial hearing held on Wednesday (May 20, 2015), for the fifth time in a row, the court refused to allow the defense panel to perform its role and fulfil its professional duty by depriving Sheikh Ali Salman of his right to a defense, as the court refused the panel's request to show videos containing recordings of Sheikh Ali Salman's speeches which the public prosecution's charges against Salman were based on.

The charges raised against Sheikh Ali Salman were based on selections cut out of context from his speeches to subvert their intended meaning. The defense panel explained since the first court hearing that the content of Sheikh Salman's speeches was tampered with, requesting that his speeches be shown in court. The court; however, continued to reject presenting his speeches, as it is determined to deprive Sheikh Ali Salman of presenting proof of his innocence and refute the "false" allegations raised against him, as the accusations of promoting the overthrow of the regime by force or threats.

During the past five trial hearings, the defense panel wasn't only prevented from playing recordings of Sheikh Ali Salman's speeches, but was previously not allowed to attend the interrogation session with the investigations officer assigned to this case. The court also rejected the majority of the questions that were directed to the prosecution witness, the investigations officer, and it even rephrased some of the defense panel's questions which affected the purpose of the questions. This interference in the defense panel's defense plan is a violation of its right.

The defense panel requested to question three witnesses before the court: the interior ministry officer who filed the investigations report, the minister of interior and the head of public security since the last two were the ones who raised the charges against Sheikh Ali Salman. The court; however, rejected the defense's request, which falls short of the panel's right to question the validity of their accusations. Also, in a grave violation of the defense's right, the court rejected all the defense panel's information requests and requests to include the relevant case files.

In view of what was stated in the investigations report, and the investigations officer's statements before the public prosecution and court which area against the truth, the defense panel has filed a criminal complaint of forgery and perjury against him to the competent legal authorities in the interior ministry and public prosecution. A copy of the complaint was handed to the court before the hearing.

The court hearing was adjourned only a few minutes after it began, after the court received the prosecution's written plea without giving the defense panel a copy of that plea which is a blatant violation of the one of the most significant principle of a fair trial, which is the right to confrontation. The court even didn't allow Sheikh Ali Salman or his defense team to enter their plea, which contradicts with what the public prosecution mentioned in its official statement following the hearing.

The court decided to adjourn the verdict until 16/6/2015 without listening to Sheikh Ali Salman's plea or his defense panel's plea and statements. This will be the last chapter of Sheikh Salman's trial during which he was deprived of his right to a defense which proves that this trial is destined to end as it started. It is a political trial that was initiated by the interior minister's decision following the parliamentary election boycotted by opposition parties, and was stirred two days after the reelection of Sheikh Ali Salman as Al-Wefaq's secretary-general, also coinciding with the lawsuit filed by ministry of justice to suspend the activities of the Al-Wefaq society.

The defense panel gravely deplores this latest development in the highly political trial and is greatly concerned about the ongoing violations of the requirements of a fair trial according to the standards pursuant to Article (14) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, for the lawyers' presence in the court hearings without being allowed to do their part and present an actual defense has no meaning and in fact violates the main basics of a fair trial, which is respecting the defense rights.