Sheikh Ali in court: the world has disapproved the malicious charges against me.
The Court of Appeals in Bahrain has held the second hearing for the opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, who is appealing a 4 year sentence he was handed for expressing his opinion.
The court adjourned the judgement to November 12, of 2015 and he is to remain in prison.
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said that according to international standards and human rights organisations the trial is considered to be void and lacks the basic standards of a justice. The trial should be ended, the false malicious charges should be dropped and Sheikh Ali Salman should be released immediately and unconditionally as he is a prisoner of conscience.
Today’s session saw the removal of Mohsin Alalawi, a member of Sheikh Ali’s defence panel, from the court room. The panel complained before the court for having confidentially with its client breached by officials reviewing every single paper delivered to Sheikh Ali in his prison. The bench is still refusing to listen to the recordings of Sheikh Ali’s speeches of which he is charged against, though these recordings represent his Exculpatory evidence.
In his appeal, Sheikh Ali Salman told the judge, “The international community has looked at my case and the world has disapproved the malicious and politicised charges against me”.
“We were and are still ready to engage in a dialogue, as an opposition”, he stated, “I will continue my peaceful political activism until democracy is achieved. This is my national duty that brings me to find solutions for the crisis through dialogue”.
Sheikh Ali handed the court his 250 page appeal, which was prepared for the first level court which denied him right to defence.