Bahrainis Hold Rallies in Protest at Opposition Leader’s Arrest (+Photos)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – People in Bahrain staged nationwide protest rallies on Friday in solidarity with secretary general of the main opposition party al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Sheikh Ali Salman, detained by the regime forces five days ago.
Demonstrators poured to the streets in different parts of the country after attending the Friday prayers, following calls from opposition groups for rallies to express support for Sheikh Ali Salman.
In some areas, marchers trampled on the British and US flags to vent their anger on London and Washington for backing the Al Khalifa regime.
Meanwhile, security forces suppressed the rallies using force and firing tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrators.
The Bahraini regime forces detained Sheikh Salman on December 28, 2014, after long hours of investigations in criminal investigations building.
According to his lawyer, Sheikh Salman is charged with “provoking hatred for the ruling regime and attending illegal demonstrations”.
Opposition groups describe Sheikh Salman as an Islamic moderate figure who believes in Islamic and national unity and values such as freedom, human dignity and equal citizenship rights.
They refer to the accusations leveled by the regime against the senior cleric as unjust, illusory and absurd.
They also say the regime’s move to take Sheikh Salman into custody is aimed at stifling the revolution of Bahraini people who seek freedom, human dignity, justice and democracy.
Bahrain, whose government has close relations with the US and Britain, has been gripped by anti-regime peaceful protests for nearly 4 years.
Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to step down from power.
The protesters have also slammed the Manama regime’s arrest and torture of the political activists, demanding their release.
