Bahrain Mirror: The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, criticized the sentence handed down to the Secretary-General of the Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, on Wednesday (June 24, 12015), urging the Bahraini authorities to reconsider the verdict, accept the appeal and work on solving Bahrain's political problems on the basis of justice and through a genuine and all-inclusive political dialogue.

Responding to a question from the "Lebanese Al-Akhbar", the spokesperson of the Ban Ki-Moon, Stéphane Dujarric, said that the UN Secretary-General "is concerned that Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary-General of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Bahrain's largest opposition society, was sentenced to four years in prison" stressing that "he urges the Bahraini authorities to enable Sheikh Ali Salman to exercise his right to appeal and to guarantee a fair trial."

Dujarric further stated that Ban Ki-Moon calls on the Bahraini authorities to "act in accordance with their obligation to ensure the protection of freedom of expression and assembly," stressing that "the Secretary-General firmly believes that the best way to reduce tensions and ensure peace, stability and prosperity for all Bahrainis is through a genuine and all-inclusive political dialogue between the Government and the opposition."

The Arabic Issue