Bahrainis Continue Protests against Upcoming ‘Sham’ Elections
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – People in Bahrain took to the streets in various parts of the Persian Gulf country to condemn the Al Khalifa regime’s continued crackdown on dissidents and the “sham” elections due to be held later this month, local reports said.
Bahraini media reports said during the demonstrations on Monday night, the protesters chanted slogans against the Manama regime and reiterated a call by some political groups for a boycott of the elections.
The demonstrators carried placards condemning the polls and voiced their readiness to actively participate in revolutionary movements, according to the reports.
General elections are planned to be held in the tiny island country on November 24.
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.
Amnesty International and many other international rights organizations have frequently censured the Bahraini regime for the rampant human rights abuses against opposition groups and anti-regime protesters.
Since 1980s, the ruling Al Khalifa regime has been trying to change the Kingdom’s demographic structure which largely consists of Shiites.
