Bahrain Mirror: Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman said on Wednesday (November 1, 2017) that the Public Prosecution had interrogated him about his previous phone calls made to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani.

Hamad bin Jassim, according to what he announced in a television interview (October 25, 2017), led a mediation to settle the country's political conflict in March 2011, which he said had taken place with the knowledge of Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

However, in a telephone conversation with his family, Sheikh Ali Salman "denied the charges raised against him during interrogation."

The charges come amid the outbreak of disputes that have plagued the Gulf Cooperation Council countries since Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar last June.

The Bahraini Public Prosecution said in a statement that it charged the opposition leader with "spying for Qatar".

The prosecution ordered that Salman be held in custody pending the completion of his sentence, i.e. to serve the new penalty after completing the prison term of the case in which he was convicted previously.

Salman, who has been detained since December 28, 2014, is serving a four-year sentence for boycotting the parliamentary elections that took place in November of the same year.

Bahrain's state television last August broadcast an audio recording in which Al-Wefaq Secretary-General was discussing with the Qatari prime minister how to reach a peaceful solution that would spare the country bloodshed.

In a statement, commenting on the recordings between Sheikh Hassan Sultan, an opposition figure, and a Qatari official, the Qatari foreign ministry said that "Bahrain was aware of these calls and what proves it is that these calls were made on ordinary phones in Bahrain and Manama did not raise the issue over the past years."

Arabic Version