Bahrainis stage rally demanding release of Sheikh Salman, political prisoners

Protesters in Bahrain have staged fresh anti-regime rallies, demanding the release of prominent opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman from prison.

Protests were held Saturday in the northern villages of al-Daih and al-Musalla with demonstrators demanding the immediate release of Salman and other political prisoners.

Security forces were present in the area, but no clashes were reported between demonstrators and the police.

Salman, a prominent opposition leader and head of the opposition al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, was detained in late December on charges of seeking to topple the regime, which he has denied. The cleric continues to be locked up despite growing calls from inside and outside Bahrain for his release. Al-Wefaq says the Manama regime is escalating the ongoing political crisis by keeping Salman behind bars.

Bahraini courts have sentenced more than 200 activists to long-term prison sentences on charges of involvement in terrorist activities and acting against the national security. At least 70 activists have received life imprisonment since the uprising began in Bahrain in 2011.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch in early February said Bahraini courts have become more active in sustaining repression in the country.

Rallies were held in Bahrain Friday to mark the fourth anniversary of an incursion by Saudi Arabia into the tiny Persian Gulf Island. People took to the streets, chanting slogans against the Saudi monarchy and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Saudi Arabian forces from the country.

Several people were injured after the Al Khalifa forces fired tear gas and birdshots to disperse the protesters in the northeastern village of Samaheej.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.

Amnesty International and several other human rights organizations have repeatedly called on Bahraini officials to observe the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.