On the eve of the trial of Sheikh Isa Qasim, a prominent Bahraini Shia cleric, people expressed their solidarity with him by appearing in the streets of the village of Abu Saiba in the north of this country.
In Friday’s demonstration, people held posters and pictures of Sheikh Qasim and asked the regime in Manama to end the torture of this cleric and other anti-regime activists.
Qasim, the religious leader of the disbanded Jamiat-e-Islami Milli Al-Wefaq party, was stripped of his citizenship last June on charges of serving the interests of foreign countries and promoting sectarianism and violence.
Qasim denied these accusations; If he is found guilty, he will be sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is supposed to be tried on Sunday.
Al-Draz village, where Sheikh Qasim lives, has seen demonstrations and sit-ins in support of him many times in the past months.
The supporters of Sheikh Qasim are going to gather in the mosques of Bahrain on the eve of his trial.
On Friday, political activists asked the citizens of Bahrain to gather in mosques and said: “Be prepared, for any moment, in case of any unjust judgment (against Sheikh Qasim), a religious order will be issued.”
They also expressed hope that “all mosques in Bahrain will be filled by men and women.”
Bahrain has been the scene of a popular uprising against the Al Khalifa regime since February 14, 2011. By organizing peaceful protests, the Bahraini opposition is demanding freedom, establishing justice and eliminating discrimination, and the establishment of an elected military in this country.
Dozens of people have been killed and thousands injured in the unrest in Bahrain. This is while Al-Khalifa regime has intensified repression against the opposition and discrimination against Shiites in this country.
