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A Shiite cleric who became the main protagonist of the "Arab Spring" movement in Bahrain in 2011, was sentenced to life in prison on Sunday (4/11) for being convicted of espionage.
The decision of the court of appeal was made after Sheikh Ali Salman was released from all charges in a lower court last June. Human rights groups say that the charges against him are motivated by political considerations and related to his work as an opposition member.
The decision was made just weeks before the parliamentary elections, which were to take place without the Al Wefaq group, previously led by Salman. Al Wefaq, the largest Shia opposition group in Bahrain, was dissolved in 2016 as part of the government crackdown on dissidents. The majority of Bahrainis are Shiites, but the government is now led by Sunni groups.
The Bahraini news agency announced Sunday that the district court had not named the accused, but only three people were found guilty of espionage.
The activist group "Human Rights First" made the decision refer to Salman. The other two were Sheikh Hbadan Ali Juma Sultan and Ali Mahdi Ali Al Aswad, both former leaders of Al Wefaq. [em]
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