Mass funeral held in Bahrain for slain teenage protester

Bahrainis have taken to the streets in large numbers for the funeral of a 16-years-old protester, the latest victim of the regime’s brutal crackdown.

On Saturday, mourners marched through the streets of Daih, the village where Hussein al-Jaziri was killed.

Security forces tried to prevent mourners from holding the memorial ceremony and clashed with protesters, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

Jaziri was shot dead on Thursday in clashes with regime forces during a demonstration that marked the second anniversary of the uprising against Al Khalifa rule.

Bahrainis have been staging demonstrations since mid-February 2011, demanding political reform and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its crackdown on popular protests.

Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses accused of treating injured revolutionaries.

A report published by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in November 2011 found that the Al Khalifa regime had used excessive force in the crackdown and accused Manama of torturing political activists, politicians, and protesters.

Bahrainis say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demands for the establishment of a democratically-elected government and an end to rights violations are met.