Bahrain Mirror: Amnesty International issued an urgent action petition calling on the international organizations and members to write appeals to the Bahraini authorities urging them to release Sheikh Ali Salman immediately.

In a statement issued on Monday (November 16, 2015), Amnesty called for "quashing his conviction as he is a prisoner of conscience and continues to be denied the right to a fair trial."

The organization said that "Sheikh Ali Salman's third appeal hearing on 12 November has been adjourned for another month. This means that his arbitrary detention has been extended. He is a prisoner of conscience and continues to be denied the right to a fair trial."

Sheikh Ali Salman's third appeal hearing was scheduled to take place before the Court of Appeal in Manama, Bahrain's capital, on 12 November. However, they were informed that the court was short of a third judge to be able to hear Sheikh Ali Salman's appeal. Bahraini law stipulates that there must be three judges for a hearing to take place, but only two were present in court. The hearing was adjourned by a further month, until 14 December. Sheikh Ali Salman was not brought from prison to the hearing.

"Under international fair trial standards, the right to a fair trial includes the right to trial within a reasonable time," added Amnesty.

During the short hearing, Sheikh Ali Salman's lawyers used this opportunity to complain to the court that prison officials were preventing them from communicating with their client and asked the judge to instruct prison officials to allow Sheikh Ali Salman to receive a copy of the defence pleading.

Amnesty urged in its statement to immediately in English or Arabic to the Bahraini king, Ministers of Justice and Interior calling them to release Sheikh Ali Salman and implement the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention immediately which concluded that Sheikh Salman is arbitrarily detained.

It also called for urging the authorities to "uphold the right to freedom of expression and repeal laws that criminalize the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly."

Arabic Issue