Bahrain Summons Sheikh Salman, Marzouk

Local Editor

Bahraini police on Wednesday questioned the head of the largest opposition party, who was summoned after a meeting with a US official later declared unwelcome in the Gulf kingdom.

Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of al-Wefaq association, was summoned Tuesday along with his political assistant, ex-MP Khalil Marzouk, by Bahrain's Public Security, which did not specify the reasons.

Salman was questioned at police headquarters, al-Wefaq said on its official Facebook page, posting a picture of the cleric and his lawyers leaving after the interrogation.

Marzouk, who was last month acquitted on charges of inciting terrorism, was scheduled to be questioned later Wednesday.

The interrogations come a day after Bahrain declared visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Tom Malinowski, "unwelcome" after he met Salman and other opposition leaders, and demanded his immediate departure.

Bahrain's foreign ministry said Malinowski had met "with a particular party to the detriment of other interlocutors," describing his action as an "interference in its internal affairs."

Malinowski was the Washington director for Human Rights Watch, a vocal critic of Manama's crackdown on protests, until April when he became assistant secretary of state.

The protests erupted in Bahrain -home base of the US Fifth Fleet- in February 2011, demanding democratic reforms in the absolute monarchy.

The Bahraini opposition parties wondered what the regime is aiming for through this step, especially as the opposition and international parties try to push for genuine dialogue to take Bahrain out of its crisis.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team