News / Persian Gulf

Bahraini protesters slam Shia cleric's detention

Thursday, 29 January 2015 7:09 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 29 January 2015 7:09 PM ]

Bahrainis stage a protest rally against the detention of Sheikh Ali Salman, a senior Shia opposition figure, in Bilad al-Qadeem, on January 29, 2015.

Bahraini protesters have once again taken to the streets in several areas across the Persian Gulf state to show their anger at the detention of the country’s senior Shia opposition cleric, Sheikh Ali Salman.

On Thursday, the demonstrators staged a fresh anti-regime gathering in Bilad al-Qadeem, the hometown of Salman, the detained head of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, west of Manama, according to the Shia opposition group’s website.

Bahraini police forces, however, launched another crackdown on the protesters, firing tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.

Similar protests were also held elsewhere in the Persian Gulf Kingdom on Thursday evening.

In the villages of Dumistan, al-Qadam and Tubli, demonstrators flooded the streets to express their outrage at Sheikh Salman’s continued detention.

This comes after the Bahraini authorities decided to keep Sheikh Salman in custody despite the Manama regime’s failure to provide an evident case against the al-Wefaq leader since his arrest on December 28 last year.

Salman appeared before a regime court on Wednesday, which adjourned his hearing to 25th February.

Bahrain has a scene of daily protests against Salman’s detention, with protesters demanding his immediate release.

The Al Khalifa regime has launched a heavy-handed crackdown on the peaceful anti-government movement in Bahrain, which started in 2011. The West and Manama’s regional allies have been supportive of and some have even participated in the crackdown.

SHR/MKA/SS

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