Bahraini Group Slams Saudi Forces’ Atrocities in Al-Awamiyah
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Bahrain’s February 14th Youth Movement condemned Saudi regime forces’ raid on houses of opposition members in al-Awamiyah city that left 5 people dead.
The movement in a statement denounced the atrocities committed by Saudi forces in the restive city in Qatif region of Saudi Arabia and underlined its solidarity with the people of the region.
The statement added that the Saudi regime’s unrelenting crimes such as killing innocent people, supporting Takfiri groups like ISIL, and backing state-sponsored terrorism have discredited the regime and shed light on its real character as a corrupt and reactionary government.
As Riyadh steps up its crackdown on dissent, regime forces stormed a residential area and killed at least five people in Awamiyah on Saturday.
According to reports, the victims of the attack were anti-regime campaigners. Tens of people were wounded in the raid and the security forces also made several arrests.
It is not immediately clear what has been behind the violent military operation.
The area has already been simmering with tensions after a Saudi court sentenced a senior anti-regime cleric to death.
On 15 October 2014, Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking 'foreign meddling' in Saudi Arabia, 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces. His brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, was arrested on the same day for tweeting information about the death sentence.
In November, Sheikh Nimr lodged a formal complaint against the verdict and the case will be referred to an appeal court, in which five judges will decide on the death sentence, Alriyadh newspaper reported.
In reaction to the controversial sentence, people took to streets in the city of Qatif in Eastern Province to condemn the move.
Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Qatif and Awamiyah in Eastern Province, despite a deadly crackdown by the regime.
The protesters primarily demand the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, as well as an end to widespread discrimination.
