Bahrainis Continue Protests in Support of Sheikh Qassim (+Photos)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Bahraini people from all social strata took to the streets in various cities to condemn the Mamma regime’s moves against Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of the kingdom’s Shiite majority.
The demonstrations were held on Tuesday night in different cities and villages across the Persian Gulf country, including in Diraz, west of Manama.
The demonstrators decried continued house arrest of Sheikh Qassim, whose health condition is deteriorating.
Bahraini security forces have extensively surrounded the house of Sheikh Qassim in Diraz, according to media reports.
The cleric was stripped of his citizenship in June last year over accusations that he had used his position to serve foreign interests and promote sectarianism and violence. The cleric was handed a suspended one-year prison term and ordered to pay a fine.
The ruling against the prominent Shiite cleric also sparked widespread protests and condemnations.
Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.
