Bahrain lifts travel ban against opposition leader

A defense lawyer says a Bahraini court has lifted a travel ban against the head of the Gulf island nation's main opposition group.

Lawyer Abdullah al-Shamlawi said today that prosecutors agreed to a defense request to lift the ban against Ali Salman, the head of the Shiite bloc al-Wefaq.

Salman was summoned by authorities in late December for questioning on allegations of incitement over comments made in a sermon. He was accused of using sectarian language, inciting hatred against the Sunni-led government and promoted rioting and vandalism.

He was let go but barred from traveling abroad while prosecutors considered the case.
 

The development comes less than two weeks after Salman and other opposition leaders met with Bahrain's crown prince in talks aimed at diffusing nearly three years of unrest.