Bahrain Mirror: On the eve of the sentencing verdict of opposition leader and Al-Wefaq Secretary-General Sheikh Ali Salman, activists and tweeters demanded the authorities to stop his trial and release him under the hashtag #FreeSheikhAli, stressing on his national patriotic stances.

Amnesty International posted a tweet demanding the release of opposition leader and wondered: "Does Bahrain continue to crush all kinds of opinions different from that of the government's or peaceful opposition to its policy?"

Prominent opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif said, describing Salam that he's "a man who is firm in his stances, faithful in his national relations; a rational man who hasn't been pushed by enthusiasm to adopt unreal demands, who has committed to the peaceful reform approach and wasn't tempted or blackmailed."

"A man who doesn't negotiate at the expense of what is right and doesn't replace what is good with what is low. This is the struggler Sheikh Ali Salman, may allah release him and his companions," he added.

For his part, Al-Wefaq Vice S-G, Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi said, "I have known Sheikh Ali Salman for over 30 years and I know his stances. I have never known such a patriotic man." Al-Daihi also posted parts of Sheikh Salman's plea which he wrote in prison.

"157 materials that incite hatred were documented by accounts linked to the authorities against the Bahraini opposition leader within two and a half days before the his sentencing verdict in a malicious trial upon which he is being prosecuted over grounds related to freedom of expression," President of Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, Baqer Darwish wrote.

However, Deputy president of the dissolved Bahrain Teachers Association Jalila Al-Salman said "Bahrain objected the speech delivered by the High Commissioner in the opening session of Human Rights Council, newspapers also denied the address... Isn't it better to present scientific evidence on the presence of a specific ceiling for freedoms and justice instead of relying on the words of newspapers? The verdict of the Secretary-General is tomorrow...let it be clear evidence."

Tweeter Rabab Taki indicated that cases raised against Sheikh Salman were based on materials taken out of context.

Legal counselor Ibrahim Sarhan said that the trial of opposition leader is a summary to more than 52,000 political trials in Bahrain since the beginning of popular movement.

"Sheikh Ali Salman is a man of peace who protected civil peace from falling down a slippery slope in the most difficult conditions, when irrationality was the dominant attitude. He saved the country from slipping into a bloodbath. We are in need of his wisdom to safeguard the country," tweeted Yousif Al-Khaja, Wa'ad Society official.

Arabic Version