The Minister of Justice told a local, Arabic-speaking daily newspaper, (al-Watan,) that the Ministry does not target to dissolve any political society which is unnecessary as a judicial lawsuit should be lodged against a violating society without targeting it. The Minister said that there is no blacklisting of opposition or non-opposition political societies.
Article (23) of the Political Societies’ Law stipulates that “ the Minister of Justice may request from the Grand Civil Court to dissolve a society, liquidate its funds and decide the side to which these funds shall go if a political society has committed a gross violation against the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Constitution or this law or any other applicable law.
Regarding news reports alleging that the Islamic Action Society (aka Amal) was dissolved on the basis of old violations so as to threaten other societies; the Minister said that the law should be applied to everybody without exceptions. The Minister added that we are talking about violations considered and adjudicated by the judiciary and we are not talking about duration; and, nobody can claim that violations should assume legitimacy by aging.
The Office of Political Societies in the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments stated last June that the lawsuit requesting the dissolving of the Islamic Action Society (Amal) was lodged reliant upon Law No.: 26/2005 after recording many recurrent and ongoing gross violations by the said society. These violations included the society’s failure to convene the public assembly meeting over more than 4 years (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012). Its recent convening was null and void because it was convened in a place of religious worship. Also, the societies’ resolutions issued by its religious leadership who explicitly instigated violence and hatred. Also, Amal’s religious point of reference (Hadi al-Muddarisi) believes they are above the Constitution, according to statements issued by Amal’s officials.
There are also violations pertaining to the society’s financial position, its failure to provide the Ministry with a copy of the society’s annual budget in compliance with legal procedures. The society was repeatedly officially urged by the Ministry to rectify its position by correcting such gross violations but failed to comply with the Ministry’s requests.
Last July, the Grand Administrative Court adjudicated in favor of dissolving the society under the said lawsuit which had been lodged by the Ministry. The court also urgently ruled to retain custody of the society’s funds which should go to the State and appointing a liquidator to take stock of the society’s funds and chattels – and debts if any – and to determine its financial position.
The court ruling confirmed the occurrence of two gross violations in breach of Law No. 26/2005 which justified its dissolution.
The Minister said that reliant upon the said court ruling, the society was dissolved for having committed gross violations against the Constitution, article 6 and article 21 of the political societies’ law as well as breached articles of association (including article 7 paragraph 6 and article 20) – just to mention a few of the society’s violations.