Bahraini leftist denies violence charges as trial opens

Imprisoned Bahraini leftist Ibrahim Sharif pleaded not guilty to charges of "promoting political change through forceful means" as his trial opened on Monday.

The activist, who is former general-secretary of the left-wing secular National Democratic Action Society (Wa’ad), is charged with "violent disorder" in a "direct attempt to undermine stability in the kingdom and overthrow the regime."

Sharif, addressing the Higher Criminal court in Manama, dismissed the charges as based on “assumptions.”

It was announced that the trial would resume on 12 October.

Sharif had previously been imprisoned in 2011 following his participation in the Arab Spring protests against the ruling Khalifa monarchy.

He was sentenced to five years in jail and was released on 19 June 2015. He was rearrested three weeks later, accused of “violating the law.”

Human rights organisations criticised his imprisonment as politically motivated.

"This case against Sharif is clearly part of a wider move by the Bahraini government to silence peaceful opposition voices,” said Brian Dooley, director Human Rights First, a US human rights organisation.

He also criticised the decision by the US state department to approve new arms shipments to the Bahraini government in light of the alleged abuses.

"To the Bahraini government, the lift of the U.S. arms ban has been seen as a bright green light to double down on its repression."

A former member of the Marxist underground Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain, Sharif established Wa’ad in 2002 along with other returning exiles who had been granted an amnesty by the newly crowned King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Media outlets have often noted that, though secular, Sharif comes from a Sunni Muslim background rather than the Shia background that makes up the majority of Bahrain’s population and has been presented by some as proof of the non-sectarian nature of the pro-democracy protests.

As many as 89 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since 2011, while hundreds have been arrested and put on trial, according to human rights groups.