The authorities in Bahrain have warned religious leaders not to "misuse" mosques during the coming parliamentary and municipal election campaign.

"All religious individuals who are standing in the elections will be prevented from speaking in mosques from the moment their application to run is accepted until the results are announced," Sheikh Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa, the minister of justice and head of the electoral commission, said in remarks quoted by The National.

"We will not allow religious pulpits to be politically exploited … There will be no laxity with 'preacher candidates' who violate the law and the constitution."

Two unnamed imams who are running for parliament have already received warnings from the Sunni endowment directorate, the paper says.

More than 318,000 people out of a population of around 729,000 have been declared eligible to vote. The minimum voting age is 20.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has called on the authorities to immediately revoke their takeover of the Bahrain Human Rights Society (reported here yesterday). 

"Taking over the Bahrain Human Rights Society is one more sign that the government intends to silence any and all criticism of its abusive human rights practices," HRW said.