DOHA
Bahrain's Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society said on Sunday that its Secretary-General Ali Salman was detained by the authorities following his interrogation on criminal charges.
The Shiite society, which has been leading the opposition to Bahraini authorities for almost four years now, called for Salman's immediate release.
However, the Bahraini Interior Ministry has not officially announced Salman's detention.
Al-Wefaq said earlier that its Secretary-General had been referred to the general prosecution for interrogation.
The society returned to say that the Interior Ministry had notified it that Salman had not been referred to the prosecution.
This led the society to believe that Salman had been detained by the ministry.
It said Salman's detention would only complicate the political situation in Bahrain, which has been suffering political turmoil since 2011.
The Bahraini Interior Ministry said on its website earlier that Salman had been summoned to be interrogated on charges of breaking the law.
It did not, however, mention the charges brought up against the Shiite leader.
The summoning of Al-Wefaq leader came hard on the heels of a Saturday protest by Bahrain's opposition, the first since Bahrain's parliamentary elections, which were held in November.
The Bahraini Interior Ministry accused the demonstrators of breaking the law and committing violations.
Salman was due to be elected for another 4-year-term as Al-Wefaq Secretary-General.
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