Bahrain: Waad’s Sharif in court

Former National Democratic Action Society (Waad) head Ibrahim Sharif appeared before the Higher Criminal Court in Manama on 24 August, pleading not guilty to charges of “promoting political change through forceful means”. His is a well-known case: when the United States has criticised its ally Bahrain over the arrest and trial of several prominent opposition figures, leading names alongside Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman have included Sharif.