Why did Bahrain dissolve the al-Wefaq political party in 2016?

The government of Bahrain dissolved the Islamist Shiʿi political party al-Wefaq in 2016 as part of a broader, ongoing effort to suppress political opposition within the country.12

Following the civil unrest that began in 2011, the government and opposition groups failed to reach a consensus through national reconciliation processes, leading to a cycle of boycotts, protests, and government crackdowns. During this period, the state intensified its suppression of dissent, which included the dissolution of al-Wefaq and the secular left-wing party Waʿad, the imprisonment of thousands of dissidents, and the revocation of citizenship for numerous individuals. Furthermore, many members of the opposition, including al-Wefaq’s leader, Sheikh ʿAlī Salmān, faced legal action and were sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of espionage for foreign actors.12