On Monday 5 November, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) denounced the life sentence for Sheikh Ali Salman, the leader of the Shi'ite opposition and secretary general of Al-Wefaq, a political association dissolved in 2016 (see EUROPE 11597).
Salman, who was already serving a life sentence, was accused of wanting "to overturn the constitutional order" while obtaining money from Qatar for information. His trial was described as a "travesty of justice" by Amnesty International.
"This decision, which comes ahead of Bahraini parliamentary elections from which many political societies have been banned, marks yet another worrying step in the direction of confrontation and polarisation in Bahrain, undermining the chances of an inclusive political debate", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release. The parliamentary elections will take place on 24 November.
"The European Union expects that this sentence will be reconsidered upon appeal and that Bahrain fulfils its international and national human rights commitments in the interest of the long term stability of the country and its citizens", the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also stated that the EU has followed Salman's case closely since his arrest in December 2014 (see EUROPE 11223) and has "publicly expressed concerns over the increasingly limited political space in Bahrain, including for non violent opposition". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)