Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's main opposition group Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society said that the authorities decided to "keep Sheikh Ali Salman in detention despite the fact that the court's procedures were void for different reasons mainly the lack of fundamental bases of a fair trial, by particularly preventing Salman's lawyers from presenting their plea, preventing Sheik Ali from defending himself, ignoring a complaint filed by the defence panel against the prosecution witness and the court's refusal to allow showing a video (evidence), which proves that the charge is void."

Al-Wefaq stressed in a statement after Salman's first appeals court hearing that "the regime in Bahrain continues to turn its back on a call issued by 33 states a few hours ago to cancel all the trials that lack the standards of fair trial and that do not comply with the international instruments. The 33 states also demanded abrogating all the verdicts issued against persons for exercising their freedom of opinion and expression."

At the end of the statement, Al-Wefaq demanded "the immediate release of the national leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, and the launch of genuine negotiations in order to meet the legitimate demands of the majority of the Bahraini people instead of insisting on making failing security choices."

Arabic Issue