Bahrainis hold anti-regime rally to demand activist’s release

Bahraini revolutionaries have held an anti-regime demonstration in the northeast to demand the release of a prominent human rights activist jailed by the Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime, Press TV reports.

Revolutionaries took to the streets in the town of Sitra on Thursday, calling for the release of Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested again on Wednesday for allegedly publishing a series of anti-regime tweets.

Bahraini regime forces used teargas canisters and sound grenades to disperse the demonstrators.

Rajab, who is the president of the non-profit Bahraini NGO, Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was initially arrested at the Bahrain International Airport in the capital Manama on May 5 upon return from the Lebanese capital Beirut. He was subsequently charged with organizing anti-regime demonstrations and insulting Bahraini authorities through social networking websites.

He was released on Monday after spending three weeks behind bars on a bail of 300 Bahraini dinars (around USD 800) with a travel ban. Rajab is now awaiting trial.

Bahrain is in the midst of an ongoing popular revolution that started in mid-February 2011.

The Bahraini regime has harshly cracked down on the protests, killing scores of people and jailing many others.

The Saudi-backed regime is also accused of abusing prisoners. Western governments are blamed for retaining silence on the crackdown, while international rights organizations have severely criticized Manama over its rights violations.

The Bahraini public hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for deaths of protesters during the revolution.