SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) — The daughter of a prominent Bahraini opposition activist and 40 other people were arrested Friday, hours after security forces used tear gas and birdshot to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding political reforms, activists said. At least 45 people were injured when the security forces broke up three separate protests across Bahrain on Thursday, they said. Bahrain crushed an uprising led by majority Shiite Muslims last year, but protest marches and rallies continue.
Shiites say they have long been marginalized in political and economic life, an accusation the government denies. Bahrain’s Sunni rulers have rejected the main opposition demand: an elected parliament with full powers to pass laws and form governments.
The head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, Mohammed al-Maskati, said Zainab al-Khawaja was arrested Friday when she tried to hold a solitary sit-in near the capital, Manama. She is the daughter of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a leading Shiite figure in the uprising who ended a long hunger strike in May after drawing attention to the issue of imprisoned activists.
where AP reported that , witnesses say riot police in Bahrain have fired tear gas and stun grenades as hundreds of anti-government protesters attempted to block a key highway. The clashes are the latest skirmishes between authorities in the Gulf kingdom and demonstrators seeking to revive large-scale street protests.
Recent arrest sweeps by Bahraini officials have appeared to weaken the uprising launched nearly 18 months ago by the nation’s Shiite majority, who claim they face systematic discrimination by the Sunni monarchy. Witnesses say some arrests were made in Thursday’s clashes, but there were no signs of serious injuries.
Source : Reuters , AP
End
