News / Persian Gulf

Bahrainis hold fresh anti-regime rallies

Saturday, 05 December 2015 2:41 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 05 December 2015 2:41 AM ]

Bahraini protesters hold portraits of Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Shia opposition bloc al-Wefaq, during a demonstration against his arrest, in the village of Diraz, northwest of the capital Manama on October 9, 2015. (AFP)

Protesters in Bahrain have held fresh rallies across the tiny Arab kingdom to demand freedom and democracy and the immediate release of all political prisoners.

The demonstrators, who marched across the northwestern village of Diraz, located about 12 kilometers (seven miles) southeast of the capital, Manama, also condemned the Al Khalifah regime for jailing the secretary general of Bahrain’s main opposition bloc al-Wefaq Sheikh Ali Salman.

They also slammed Manama’s move to strip a number of anti-regime activists of their Bahraini citizenship.

Similar rallies were also held in other villages, including Bilad al-Qadim, Sehla, and Ma'ameer.

Salman was detained on December 28, 2014 on charges of attempting to overthrow the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty and collaboration with foreign powers. On June 16, almost seven months after his arrest, he was sentenced to spend four years in prison. He has strongly denied the charges, emphasizing that he has been seeking reforms in Bahrain through peaceful means.

Anti-regime protesters have been holding demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for the Al Khalifa ruling family to relinquish power.

Bahraini regime forces, backed by Saudi troops, have cracked down on the protesters, killing scores of them. A large number of Bahraini activists are also languishing behind bars.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have repeatedly censured the Bahraini regime for its human rights abuses against opposition activists and anti-government protesters.

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