Bahrain Mirror: Amnesty International issued a statement on Monday (December 14, 2015) describing the extension of Sheikh Ali Salman's detention as arbitrary and that "he continues to be denied the right to a fair trial." Amnesty called on the Bahraini authorities "to release Sheikh ‘Ali Salman immediately and unconditionally and quash his conviction as he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression."

Amnesty added that Sheikh Salman's third appeal hearing was scheduled to take place before the Court of Appeal in Manama, Bahrain's capital, on 12 November; however, Sheikh ‘Ali Salman was not brought from prison to the hearing and thus the hearing was adjourned by a further month, until 14 December. "This means that his arbitrary detention has been extended. He is a prisoner of conscience and continues to be denied the right to a fair trial," it stressed.

In its statement, Amnesty further said that "Under international fair trial standards, the right to a fair trial includes the right to trial within a reasonable time... The hearing was scheduled to take place on 12 November. However, when his lawyers arrived, they were informed that the court was short of a third judge to be able to hear Sheikh Salman's appeal. During the short hearing, Sheikh ‘Ali Salman's lawyers used this opportunity to complain to the court that prison officials were preventing them from communicating with their client and asked the judge to instruct prison officials to allow Sheikh ‘Ali Salman to receive a copy of the defence pleading. The judge told his lawyers to put this request in writing to the court, who will then refer it to the Public Prosecution."

"Sheikh ‘Ali Salman had asked his lawyers for a copy of the defence pleading ahead of the hearing but when one of his lawyers visited him on 9 November, she was not allowed to bring the case files, which included the defence pleading, into the room nor to hand over the casefiles to Sheikh ‘Ali Salman. The right to adequate facilities to prepare the appeal is an important element to the right to a fair trial," Amnesty added.

Amnesty International also, in its statement, urged all human rights groups to immediately write, "calling on the Bahraini authorities to release Sheikh ‘Ali Salman immediately and unconditionally and quash his conviction as he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression; calling on them to implement the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention immediately; urging them to uphold the right to freedom of expression and repeal laws that criminalize the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

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