Fresh anti-govt. rallies held in Bahrain

Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in Bahrain, demanding the release of female prisoners, and calling on the country’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to resign.

Despite a strong military crackdown by Saudi-backed regime forces, the protesters staged demonstrations in several villages including Sitra, Ma’meer, Karzakan and Sanad,

During the rallies, the demonstrators chanted slogans against the Bahraini regime, and demanded that the king step down from power.

The development comes amid reports that two prominent female prisoners in Bahrain have gone on hunger strike.

Roula al-Saffar, head of the Bahrain Nursing Society and Jalila al-Salman, deputy head of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association, were arrested several months ago for taking part in anti-regime protest rallies.

The two female prisoners went on hunger strike to protest against their imprisonment and torture.

Tens of thousands of Bahraini protesters have been holding peaceful anti-government rallies throughout the country since February, demanding an end to the rule of the Al Khalifa family.

Scores of people have been killed and many more have been arrested and tortured in prisons in a government-sanctioned crackdown on peaceful protests since the beginning of the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, several women, including doctors, university professors and students have been kidnapped or detained by Bahraini security forces.

According to Bahrain Center for Human Rights — a non-governmental organization — there are currently over 1,000 political detainees inside the country.