Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Bahrain bans major opposition group

Manama, Oct 28 (IANS) A Bahrain court Tuesday banned for three months all activities of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, the main Shia opposition group, just less than one month before parliamentary elections in the Gulf nation.


The justice, Islamic affairs and endowments ministry filed a lawsuit against the opposition group in July this year, accusing it of adopting a peculiar endorsement concept by giving a “committee set up within it and headed by a religious man, the right to accept or reject candidates for the post of secretary-general and deputy secretary-general”.

The ministry maintained that all decisions taken by Al Wefaq following these meetings were invalid, Xinhua reported.

On Tuesday, the High Administrative Court ordered that the society’s all activities be halted for three months.

“These are attempts to target groups that want to resolve the political stalemate peacefully for the rights of citizens,” Al Wefaq said in a statement after the court verdict.

Earlier in October, five main opposition groups, led by Al Wefaq, announced they would boycott the parliamentary elections slated for Nov 22.

They said the government was not making genuine reconciliation efforts after the 2011 protests against the Sunni monarchy, which were largely carried out by the kingdom’s Shia majority.




Bahrain bans major opposition group

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