The forthcoming National Dialogue will be an opportunity once again to unite the country and emerge with a broad consensus that will see further progress in political, social and economic reforms initiated by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa over past ten years ago, according to a statement issued by the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) on Thursday.
The statement added that those who attend the Dialogue would show leadership and distance themselves from the radical elements and therefore prove to the international community that the majority believes in this inclusive forum to pave a better future.
The defendants, it said, convicted on Thursday do not represent any significant number of the population who actually believe that the way forward is through dialogue and peaceful means.
“Today’s sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved and therefore reassuring the majority of the population of Bahrain that their security will not be allowed to be compromised by violence or attempts to overthrow the regime or by the calling for the establishment of an Islamic Republic,” it added.
In the last ten years, there has been great freedom for people to express their opinions and grievances through many civil and peaceful mediums. The courts have never been used for the purpose of silencing anyone.
The Government believes that the nature of recent incidents and the threat to national security makes the Law of National Safety a legitimate means to prosecute the perpetrators in a court, where they had access to legal counsel and representation, for bringing the country to the brink of total anarchy.