A Bahrain court has dissolved the Islamic Action Society (Amal) following a legal complaint by the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry.

The Ministry filed a case against the political society last month, accusing it of violating the Constitution and the law.

The Office of Political Societies Affairs at the ministry said it had recorded numerous "grave and continuing breaches" by the society.

After the case was reviewed, the High Civil Court issued a verdict in favour of the Ministry and ordered to dissolve the society.

However, the society's lawyers are planning to appeal the decision.

The violations included failure to hold the society's public convention for a period of more than four years - the last of which was the invalidity of its convention because it was held in a place of worship; basing its resolutions on the teachings of a religious scholar who blatantly calls for violence and instigates hatred; breaches related to its financial position and failure to submit a copy of its annual balance sheet.

The Ministry had repeatedly requested the society to rectify the breaches, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the society's secretary-general Shaikh Mohammed Al Mahfoodh is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence in a case in which 14 men were convicted of overthrowing the regime, changing the political system, spreading lies and rumours, publishing photographs seeking to ruin Bahrain's image, taking part in illegal gatherings and possession of swords. – TradeArabia News Service