Foreign ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham voiced concern over the extension of the detention of Bahrain’s opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, saying the move “will not help resolve Bahrain’s problems.” “The continuation of a state of heightened security and policing in Bahrain will complicate matters further,” she said late on Wednesday, according to a foreign ministry press release. Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday that the trial of Sheikh Salman, head of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, on charges of promoting the overthrow of the Persian Gulf kingdom’s political system had been adjourned until May 20. Salman, who has been remanded in custody until his next hearing, is being tried on multiple charges, including inciting a “change of government by force, spreading hatred among a segment of society and insulting the interior ministry”.
