Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Khalil Al Marzooq, a prominent leader of Al Wefaq, said that the charges raised against Al Wefaq's secretary general mean that "demanding reform has become incriminated" and that demanding rights "is a punishable action in the eyes of the authority", indicating that this matter will steer the country towards a critical situation.

In statements to Bahrain Mirror, Al Marzooq expected that the regime would feel surprised when it notices that it will cause to free the political action from legal and procedural constraints and establish an open political movement free of regulations and restraints.

Al Marzooq revealed that the Bahraini opposition disagreed with the Western countries regarding participating in elections, despite the latter's pressure. He confirmed that the opposition's decisions are not subjected neither to Eastern dictations not to Western ones.

The defense panel of Sheikh Ali Salman, Al Wefaq National Islamic Society's Secretary General, submitted conclusive evidence concerning the incoherence of charges against him, said Marzooq. He added that this is on top a number of clear addresses by Salman and other fabricated versions done by the criminal investigation department or public prosecution, indicating that this evidence means the case lacks consistency due to the incoherence of evidence and charges.

The observers who attended Salman's hearing clearly noticed the incoherence of the case and realized that its motives and aims are political, Al Marzooq added.

Al Marzooq stated that it was obvious to Al Wefaq from the first day that investigating and arresting Salman is a political revenge for boycotting the elections, signifying that proof of this analysis needed little time. He also considered that the statements of the Minister of Interior announced in his press conference plainly revealed the political nature of the lawsuit against Al Wefaq's Secretary General.

Al Marzooq announced that trying Al Wefaq's Secretary General will steer the country to a critical situation "the charges against him mean that demanding reform has become incriminated and that, according to the authority, who demands his constitutionally and internationally guaranteed fundamental rights is considered to be making a punishable action."

"This means that the political action has become of no value. It exists no longer. It has turned to be unrecognized. You have no rights to ask for. This matter has dangerous consequences," Al Marzooq continued.
Al Marzooq said that the authority has to reconsider its stance. He also saw that resolving the crisis and the victory are but illusions. Meanwhile, he considered that shutting the doors to political and reform demands', through making use of exceptional regional conditions, is a big mistake and a limited thinking that is incapable to understand the situation's large image.

Al Marzooq reminded that the dissolution of the Parliament in 1975, freezing the Constitution and enforcing the state's security law did not put an end to the political movement, yet it made it more prominent, influential and fundamental. He confirmed that trying to terminate the already tight political action space restricted by legal and procedural constraints will not put an end to the political movement, today "the authority might get surprised when it notices that it is the one that will cause to free the political movement from these legal and procedural constraints."

The prominent leader in Al Wefaq said that when the regime prohibits citizens from exercising their rights stipulated in the law and international charters, it causes them to ignore and infringe the law, as it is the case with banning the marches and gatherings. This banning did not stop the daily marches in most of the countries "if the regime insists on shutting the reform door and suppressing the political action, it causes an open political movement free of regulations and restraints".

As for the international community's role in the recent developments, Al Marzooq said that the opposition did not count on it, "We did not previously work in accordance with a foreign agenda; neither an Eastern agenda nor a Western one, and will never do in the future". Al Marzooq unveiled that the Bahraini opposition disagreed with the Western countries regarding participating in elections in spite of the latter's pressure. He, moreover, considered that this evidence proves that the opposition does not work according to foreign agendas "we bear responsibility for our national decisions' consequences because we believe we have chosen what is right for our nation and for the protection of our citizen's rights".

Al Marzooq expressed that the Western countries will not keep ignoring Bahrain's situation in the future for their interests in the region, even if they have now considerations in it. He affirmed that after Al Wefaq's Secretary General arrest, the Western countries started realizing the gravity of the situation and its future repercussions in addition to the desperate need for a solution.

"This is obviously seen in their statements although being written in a diplomatic way taking into account the current conditions in the region and the world".

However, Al Marzooq proclaimed, "we are not finding firm positions by the international community that can help reach a political settlement through serious negotiating dialogue that leads to real reforms and national reconciliation."

Al Wefaq will continue to provide its visions for the democratic change that builds the country rather than destroying it and that will reform its institutional and legislative system, Al Marzooq assured. Al Wefaq will never back on defending the legitimate rights of each Bahraini. Al Wefaq will never draw back or compromise regarding these rights no matter of the pressure size it has to burden.

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