Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain Mirror publishes the introduction of "A Plea of a country", which is the plea of Al-Wefaq Secretary-General, Sheikh Ali Salman, coinciding with the e-campaign that was launched yesterday night on various social media outlets, using the #FreeSheikhAli hashtag, on the seventh anniversary of his arrest, demanding his release.

Sheikh Ali Salman addresses the Bahraini people saying: "To my people who have been giving their strength for years, for the past years, for the present years and possible years," and confirms his Qur'anic approach, stressing: "I only want to reform as much as I can and I shall be aided by Allah." He says that he is now more convinced and determined to  continue in the uprising and demand reform, so that "we can live as equal human beings in Bahrain."

This plea discusses the nature of the political situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the people's just political demands. It also includes a response to the charges brought against Sheikh Ali and a clarification of the Bahraini political demands. Sheikh Ali in his plea calls for quickly working towards achieving a national dialogue that yields a national solution, stressing that "the period of slavery and monopoly of decision-making has come to an end". 

In his plea, his eminence states his response to the four charges raised against him. His response includes 4 chapters: 

Sheikh Salman described the conditions in which he wrote his plea, saying that he is being held "in a small prison in the Eastern Riffa police station consisting of four cells. Each cell is 2 metres long and 2 metres wide. The door of the cell with iron bars is 2 metres long, half a metre wide, at the top of the cell there is a window at an altitude of 160 cm, 25 cm long and 25 cm wide, with glass behind them that is opened for ventilation. In the cell,  there is a two layer bed of 180cm long. There is a closed toilet with a door on the left part of the cell. The door's length is 160 cm and 75 cm wide. The cell's color is beige and the iron bars are silver. In this place and after the first trial session on January 25, this plea was born. I wrote it within 5 months in solitary confinement."

Sheikh Salman received a subpoena to appear before the CID on the same day (December 27), 7 years ago and he has been imprisoned since that time. 

Arabic Version