A high court in Bahrain adjourned the trial of Sheikh Isa Qassim for the third time on Thursday as widespread protests against the trial have been going on in the country.

Al-Ahed news cited sources in criminal court of Bahrain as saying that the court postponed the trial of Sheikh Isa Qassim and the senior Shiite cleric was not present at the trial today.

The tribunal held a session which lasted only few minutes without the cleric's presence, deciding to put off the trial. However, the court has not yet publicly announced the date for the next trial session.

The Bahraini regime has pressed charges of “illegal fund collections, money laundering and helping terrorism” against Sheikh Qassim. He has rejected the accusations.

Manama has also revoked the cleric’s citizenship.

Bahrain has already sentenced Sheikh Ali Salman, another revered opposition cleric, to nine years in prison on charges of seeking regime change and collaborating with foreign powers, which he has rejected.

Sheikh Salman was the Secretary General of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, which was Bahrain’s main opposition bloc before being dissolved by the regime earlier this month.

Both the trial of Sheikh Qassim and Sheikh Salman are viewed as part of Bahrain’s crackdown on political dissent.
Since February 14, 2011, thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis, calling on the Al Khalifah rulers to relinquish power.

In March that year, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to the country to assist the Bahraini regime in cracking down on the protests.

On the eve of Sheikh Qassim’s trial, hundreds of people rallied in Bahrain to express solidarity with him.