Bahrain suspends opposition

A Bahraini court on Tuesday suspended the main opposition Al-Wefaq group pending a verdict on dissolving it altogether, the Justice Ministry said, accusing the Shiite bloc of breaking the law.
The court also ordered Al-Wefaq’s offices closed and its funds frozen, a ministry statement published by the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said.
Al-Wefaq chief, Shiite cleric Ali Salman, is serving a nine-year jail term for inciting violence after a court in May more than doubled his sentence.
Tuesday’s court decision followed a ministry request for Al-Wefaq to be dissolved for alleged illegal activity.
It was accused of offering a haven for “terrorism, radicalization, and violence” and opening the way for “foreign interference” in the kingdom’s affairs, the ministry said.
This was a reference to Shiite Iran across the Gulf, which Bahrain accuses of fueling unrest on its soil by backing the opposition.
Al-Wefaq will be unable to operate until a verdict is issued on dissolving it, BNA reported. The ministry said its move against the Shiite bloc was part of a drive to “combat extremism... and protect society.”

Source: Arab News