MANAMA: Bahrain authorities summoned the head of the country’s main opposition bloc on Saturday for questioning on allegations of incitement, a move that could inflame tensions in the Gulf kingdom.
The Ministry of Interior said in a statement on its official Twitter feed that Ali Salman of Al-Wefaq was summoned to address comments he made in a sermon Friday that allegedly “contained sectarian language to incite hatred.” It said his comments also incited hatred against the government and promoted rioting and vandalism.
The public prosecution issued a separate statement saying that Salman was released from custody but is barred from traveling abroad while prosecutors consider the case. The ministry did not say what specific comments prompted the inquest.
The questioning came nearly two months after the Gulf kingdom charged Sheikh Salman with insulting the Interior Ministry.
He was the most senior opposition figure to have been charged since the 2011 uprising.