Appeal hearing in Qatar conspiracy case adjournedq

An appeal lodged against the acquittal of three opposition members accused of conspiring with Qatar has been adjourned until September 26 for review.

Shaikh Ali Salman, the former secretary general of the now dissolved Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, and two former Al Wefaq MPs – Hassan Ali Sultan and Ali Al Aswad – were accused of spying for a foreign country.

They were cleared by the High Criminal Court but Attorney General Osama Al Oufi lodged the appeal citing there was adequate proof to upturn their clearance. Shaikh Ali Salman appeared in court yesterday before the appeal was adjourned.

Shaikh Salman has been accused of receiving money in exchange for revealing state and military secrets, including information about GCC forces in Bahrain. The case is connected to phone conversations dating back to 2011 between Qatari officials and senior members of Al Wefaq.

Mr Al Oufi argued earlier that the cleric knew he was breaking the law by having contact with the Qatari government. Recordings of conversations between the defendants and Qatari officials have already been played in court as evidence.

However, defence lawyer Jalila Al Sayed, at a previous hearing at the High Criminal Court, had sought Ali Salman’s acquittal, claiming there was no evidence to show he had conspired with Qatar.

The cleric is due to complete a four-year jail sentence in December for inciting others to break the law and sectarianism.