Bahrain's Al-Wefaq Society Appeals Supreme Court Ruling on Dissolution

A few months after a court ruling in Bahrain to dissolve the Al-Wefaq Society, an official from Bahrain's judiciary has announced that this major Shia opposition group has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. According to this judiciary official speaking to AFP, Al-Wefaq's appeal includes the court's ruling for the dissolution of the party and the confiscation of its assets. On Sunday, July 17 of this year, Bahraini media reported that a court in the country issued a ruling to dissolve the 'Al-Wefaq Society' and confiscate its assets. At that time, the Bahraini newspaper Al-Wasat, close to the opposition, wrote that based on the court's ruling, 'Al-Wefaq has deviated from its path in political activity and has resorted to inciting violence and holding illegal protests and sit-ins, which could lead to sectarian strife in the country.' Al-Wefaq is a Shia party that held the majority of parliamentary seats in the country. However, following the protests known as the Arab Spring in the country, representatives of this party collectively resigned in criticism of the government's handling of the protests and called for the formation of an elected government. Since then, the activities and members of this group have been under pressure from the government, and some figures associated with it have been imprisoned or stripped of their citizenship. The majority of Bahrain's population are Shia, but the rulers of the country are from the Sunni minority, and Al-Wefaq's demand is for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in the country. The decision to dissolve this opposition party, which was confirmed in the appeals court in September, has drawn criticism not only in Iran, as a Shia country supportive of the opposition, but also from the UN Secretary-General and Bahrain's allies in the United States and the UK. Less than two weeks ago, another court in Bahrain ruled that the assets of Al-Wefaq should be confiscated on October 26, but the execution of this decision was delayed for nearly two weeks, with November 6 set as the day for its implementation. Bahrain has also detained the leader of Al-Wefaq, Sheikh Ali Salman, since December 2014, accusing him of 'inciting hatred and calling for a change of government,' and has sentenced this Shia cleric to nine years in prison. However, two weeks ago, Bahrain's Supreme Court overturned the nine-year prison sentence for Mr. Salman, ruling that the court handling his charges must be reconstituted. AFP reported that the first session to reconsider Mr. Salman's charges will be held on November 6 of this year. In late June of this year, the Bahraini government also stripped Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of the Shia in the country, of his citizenship on charges of 'encouraging separatism and violence' and 'serving the interests of a foreign country.' The rulers of Bahrain, supported by Saudi Arabia, accuse the Islamic Republic of interfering in their internal affairs, a claim that Iran has always denied.