Jailed Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman calls for more protests

Bahrain’s top opposition figure Sheikh Ali Salman has called on people across the Persian Gulf country not to remain silent in the face of the Al Khalifa regime’s atrocities and press ahead with their protests.

The 49-year-old cleric, who is the secretary general of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Bahrain’s largest opposition bloc, made the comments in a message issued from prison.

The Bahraini regime has charged Salman with “promoting regime change by force, threats, and illegal means, and of insulting the Interior Ministry publicly.” Salman has been under arrest since December 28, 2014.

In his message, the prominent cleric stressed that the popular protests against the ruling family are peaceful, and urged people to push for the release of all political prisoners in the country.

Bahrain has been the scene of unabated demonstrations since Sheikh Salman’s arrest. In their latest protest, demonstrators took to the streets in the northeastern island of Sitra on Saturday to call for Salman’s release.

Bahrain’s public prosecutor’s office on Friday extended the detention of the Shia leader for an unlimited period.

Bahrain has been witnessing almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011. Since then, thousands of protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.