Bahraini Regime Sentences 52 Citizens to Total of 313 Years in Prison
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Al Khalifa regime, in yet another attempt to silence voices of dissent, sentenced 52 citizens of the Persian Gulf country to jail terms amounting to 313 years in total, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said.
The Bahraini center announced that during the days between April 10 and April 16, the Manama regime has handed down prison terms, including three life sentences, to 52 citizens on political grounds, the Arabic-language Bahrain Mirror news website reported.
The security forces of the Al Khalifa regime have also arrested 10 other citizens, including a child, in the mentioned period, the report said.
About 40 peaceful protests were also staged in condemnation of the Bahraini regime’s policies during the said period, some of which faced heavy-handed crackdown by the regime forces, according to the report.
The moves come amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Bahrain with rights groups repeatedly criticizing the regime for handing down long-term sentences to anti-regime protesters and activists in the country.
Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.
