Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Christoph Strässer, expressed his concerns over the verdict issued against the leader of the main opposition party in Bahrain, Sheikh Ali Salman, according to reports by German media outlets.

Strässer deemed the four-year-prison sentence handed down to the Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic society exaggerated, and said that it constitutes a painful blow to the national dialogue, which is a necessity in the island kingdom.

"Freedom of expression and political pluralism should be respected," Strässer stressed, hoping that the sentence issued against Sheikh Ali Salman will not lead to new tensions and unrest in the country.

The Arabic Issue