News / Persian Gulf

Bahraini forces arrest 59 protesters on 2011 uprising anniversary

Monday, 15 February 2016 11:19 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 15 February 2016 2:24 PM ]

A Bahraini protester, wearing a gas mask, takes part in an anti-regime protest in the village of Sitra, south of the capital, Manama, on February 14, 2016. (© Reuters)

Bahraini regime forces have arrested dozens of pro-democracy protesters as they participated in protest rallies across the Persian Gulf kingdom to mark the fifth anniversary of a popular uprising against the Al Khalifah rule.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights announced on Sunday that a total of 59 protesters, were detained between February 12 and 14, and that 26 minors were among those arrested, Arabic-language Laulau satellite television network reported.

The center added that 46 anti-regime demonstrations were staged in 26 areas across Bahrain, and that a large number of others had to be called off due to the heavy-handed crackdown in place.

Since February 14, 2011, thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations on an almost daily basis in the kingdom, calling for the Al Khalifah family to relinquish power.

On March 14 that year, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protesters.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others injured or arrested in the ongoing heavy-handed crackdown on anti-regime rallies.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have repeatedly censured the Bahraini regime over the “rampant” human rights abuses against opposition activists and anti-government protesters.

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