The Appeals Court of Bahrain yesterday handed down a life sentence on Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary General of the dissolved Al Wefaq political society, who is already serving a previous sentence. 

The European Union has followed this case closely since his arrest in December 2014 and has publicly expressed concerns over the increasingly limited political space in Bahrain, including for non violent opposition.

This decision, which comes ahead of Bahraini Parliamentary elections from which many political societies have been banned, marks yet another worrying step in the direction of confrontation and polarisation in Bahrain, undermining the chances of an inclusive political debate. 

The European Union expects that this sentence will be reconsidered upon appeal and that Bahrain fulfils its international and national Human Rights commitments in the interest of the long term stability of the country and its citizens.