Bahrain court dissolves main Shia opposition

A Bahrain court on Sunday dissolved the main Shia Muslim opposition group al-Wefaq, accusing it of fostering violence and terrorism, in an escalation of a crackdown on dissent in the US-allied Gulf kingdom.

The official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said the court ruled that al-Wefaq had taken aim at “respect for the rule of law and the foundations of citizenship based on coexistence, tolerance and respect for others; provided an atmosphere for the incubation of terrorism, extremism and violence and for foreign interference in national affairs.”

Its funds would be claimed by the state treasury, BNA said.

Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, has a Shia majority but a Sunni Muslim-led government, mainly drawn from the ruling al-Khalifa family.

British concern

Seen by other Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdoms such as

Saudi Arabia

as a bulwark against Iranian influence, it put down Arab Spring protests in 2011.

Close ally Britain expressed deep concern at yesterday's ruling. In a statement, foreign secretary Boris Johnson urged Bahrain to guarantee political freedoms for all its citizens. – (Reuters)