Bahrainis Continue Rallies in Support of Sheikh Qassim (+Photos)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Bahraini people from every walk of life once again staged anti-regime protests in various cities of the Persian Gulf country to express their solidarity with Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of the Shiite majority in the kingdom.
Hundreds of Bahraini citizens participated in the demonstrations on Monday night in various cities and villages, including Diraz, the hometown of Sheikh Qassim located west of Manama, local reports said.
The protesters expressed their solidarity with the prominent cleric and urged the Al Khalifa rulers to hand over the bodies of the martyrs recently killed by regime forces in Diraz to their families.
In an attack on supporters of Sheikh Qassim in Diraz last week, regime forces shot dead at least six demonstrators, wounded dozens and arrested over 280 people.
The raid followed a Bahraini court ruling on May 21 that sentenced Sheikh Qassim to one year in prison. Based on the verdict, the cleric’s properties worth three million Bahraini dinars (near $8 million) have been also confiscated. Moreover, Sheikh Qassim has been sentenced to pay a fine of 100,000 Bahraini dinars (about $265,000).
Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with security forces resorting to harsh measures against demonstrators.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful protests.
