Anti-government
protesters gesture as they march during an anti-government rally held by Wefaq,
Bahrain's main opposition party, in Bilad al-Qadeem, west of Manama October 19,
2012. (Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed)
Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/bahrain-ban-demonstration-protest-554/
Bahraini authorities have prohibited protest gatherings
and rallies until further notice, a day after police cracked down heavily on
demonstrators, once again during the 20-month fatality-riddled unrest.
The statement made by the country’s Interior Ministry
did not define precise measures that could be taken should new protests occur.
A curfew and special military tribunals were introduced
several months into uprising that began in Bahrain in February 2011. AP
reported that the early period of the unrest left at least 50 people dead in
the violence.
However, Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al
Khalifa stressed that “rallies and gatherings will be considered illegal,
and legal action will be taken against anyone calling for or taking part in
them.”
The news comes only a day after security forces cracked
down on protesters next to the capital, Manama, using teargas and rubber
bullets. Demonstrators took to the streets to rally for the release of
political prisoners – and against the long-standing rule of the King Hamad bin
Isa Al Khalifa.
Just under two weeks ago, Bahrain detained four people after they reportedly
defamed the King via Twitter. The four were held for seven days pending trial,
according to the official Bahrain News Agency. The authorities gave no further
details on the suspects or the contents of their tweets. The trial date and the
suspects’ fate remain unknown.
One of the most prominent opposition activists in the
country, Nabeel Rajab is
currently challenging the three-year jail sentence for allegedly encouraging
illegal protests and violence in Bahrain via Twitter. His next hearing will
take place on November 8.
Another well-known activist, Said Yousif, was arrested in mid-August after speaking out
in support of Nabeel Rajab’s detention.
Head of Monitoring in Bahrain Center for Human Rights,
Sayed Yousif Almuhafda thinks that the latest measure is simply “an attempt
to completely squash [the] people’s uprising. In fact, Bahrain can be called an
unfinished segment of the Arab Spring, which has never been allowed [to]
flower.”
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