Bahrainis Stage Rallies in Solidarity with Detained Opposition Leader+Photos
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Bahraini people on Friday held massive rallies west of the capital, Manama, in solidarity with Sheikh Ali Salman, the jailed secretary general of the main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.
Protesters in Diraz held peaceful demonstration after performing Friday Prayers to voice their outrage over the detention of the prominent cleric Sheikh Salman by the Al Khalifa regime.
Carrying the pictures of Sheikh Salman, protesters chanted anti-regime slogans and called for immediate release of the opposition figure.
However, the Bahraini regime tried to crack down on the peaceful protests by using force and deploying armored vehicles.
The Al Khalifa regime is pressing ahead with its crackdown on opposition, after it arrested Sheikh Salman on December 28.
The 49-year-old cleric is charged with “promoting regime change by force, threats, and illegal means, and of insulting the Interior Ministry publicly,” said Bahraini prosecutor Nayef Mahmud.
The uprising in Bahrain began on February 14, 2011. Protesters initially called for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy. However, the demand later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.
Scores of people have been killed in the crackdown and security forces have arrested hundreds including doctors and nurses. Dozens of demonstrators have also been sentenced to jail terms for attending street protests.
