DUBAI - A court in Bahrain on Tuesday jailed prominent opposition leader Ali Salman, whose arrest drew US and Iranian condemnation and sparked protests across the tiny but strategic Gulf kingdom. Salman was sentenced to four years in jail for inciting disobedience and hatred in the state, a judicial source said.
But he was acquitted of the more serious charge of seeking to overthrow the monarchy and change the political system.
Salman, 49, was also found guilty of “insulting an official body,” the source said, referring to the interior ministry.
His arrest on December 28 drew condemnation from both the United States and Iran, as well as human rights groups. It also triggered demonstrations across the kingdom. Salman was present for the verdict, which was delivered amid tight security outside the Manama court, witnesses said.
He heads the Al-Wefaq Shia political association, which once held the most seats in Bahrain’s parliament. Its 18 MPs walked out in February 2011 to protest violence used against demonstrators during nationwide protests. The group boycotted the last elections in November.
On Tuesday, Al-Wefaq slammed the “false” ruling against Salman and demanded his release. “We reject anything less than a non-guilty verdict for Sheikh Ali Salman. We consider this a false and injust ruling that is based on an illogical case and lacks sound foundations,” Al-Wefaq said in a statement.
It said that keeping Salman behind bars means “jeopardising any solution and perpetuating the political crisis,” slamming the verdict as an “irresponsible decision that reflects the regime’s rejection of any political solution or serious dialogue.”
Rights groups also criticised Tuesday’s ruling. “Today’s verdict against Ali Salman drives Bahrain deeper into political crisis,” said Brian Dooley, head of Human Rights Defenders Programme at the Washington-based Human Rights First.
“Sending the leader of the main opposition group to jail for peaceful protests only encourages those pushing for violent change, and it sweeps any chance of a negotiated settlement off the table,” he said.
Tiny but strategic Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been rocked by unrest since a 2011 uprising demanding a constitutional monarchy and more representative government.
The prosecution said in a statement it was looking into the basis for Salman’s acquittal and that it would consider an appeal “if there were legal grounds for that.”
The prosecution said Salman was convicted of “public incitement” against naturalised Bahraini citizens and had accused them of being disloyal to the country.
Despite a widespread crackdown, protesters continue to frequently clash with security forces in Shia villages outside Manama.
At least 89 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since 2011, while hundreds have been arrested and put on trial, rights groups say.
A Bahraini court last week handed down sentences of up to life imprisonment against 57 Shias accused of plotting attacks against police and other targets. All but one were stripped of their citizenship. But only 33 of the defendants are in custody, while the rest were tried in absentia.