Bahrain to auction banned opposition’s seized assets

The headquarters of Bahrain's main opposition party al-Wefaq is seen in Bilad Al Qadeem, west of Manama, in this October 28, 2014 file photo. (REUTERS)

DUBAI: Bahrain will auction the confiscated assets of the main Shiite opposition in the kingdom after it was dissolved over terrorism-related charges, a judicial source said Saturday.
An administrative court on Thursday ordered the auctioning of Al-Wefaq’s assets to be held on Oct. 26, the source said.
After the latest court decision, security forces seized Al-Wefaq’s assets including its headquarters outside Manama and two other offices in Shiite villages, the source said.
The accusations that led to the ban — upheld by an appeals court last month — included “harboring terrorism,” inciting violence and encouraging demonstrations which threatened to spark sectarian strife in the country.
Al-Wefaq’s leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, has been behind bars since December 2014 on charges of inciting hatred and calling for forceful regime change.
But on Monday Bahrain’s cassation court overturned his nine-year jail sentence and ordered a retrial.
Al-Wefaq was the largest group in Parliament before its lawmakers resigned en masse in protest at the crushing of Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations in 2011 calling for an elected government.
Also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, Al-Wefaq operated as an association.