News / Persian Gulf

Bahraini officials file lawsuit to dissolve largest leftist political party

Monday, 06 March 2017 4:04 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 06 March 2017 6:09 PM ]

This file photo shows a view of Bahrain’s Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments building in the capital Manama.

Bahraini authorities have filed a lawsuit to dissolve the country’s largest leftist political party as part of the ruling Al Khalifah regime’s heavy-handed crackdown on political dissidents and pro-democracy campaigners in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.

In a statement on Monday, Bahrain’s Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments accused the National Democratic Action Society (Wa’ad) of “incitement of acts of terrorism and promoting violent and forceful overthrow” of the Manama regime.

The group “glorified convicted terrorists and saboteurs who used weapons and detonated bombs in killing and wounding several security [personnel], threatened citizens and residents' safety and damaged private and public properties,” the statement added.

Bahraini officials have piled pressure on the country's opposition in recent months.

On July 17, 2016, a court in Bahrain dissolved the country’s main Shia opposition group, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, and ordered the seizure of its funds, accusing it of helping bids to foster violence and “terrorism” in the country.

Read more:

Bahrain court dissolves main opposition group al-Wefaq

The move came a month after Bahraini officials stripped distinguished Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of al-Wefaq, of his citizenship on June 20, 2016.

Read more:

Bahrain revokes citizenship of top cleric

File photo shows anti-government protesters holding posters of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim during an anti-government protest in Budaiya, west of Manama. (Photo by Reuters)

They later dissolved the Islamic Enlightenment Institution, founded by the 77-year-old cleric, in addition to the opposition al-Risala Islamic Association.

The Manama regime has pressed charges of “illegal fund collections, money laundering and helping terrorism” against Sheikh Qassim, who has strongly denied them.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the kingdom in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown.

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