Bahraini Regime Forces Target Religious Leaders
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Bahraini regime forces besieged the houses of senior figures of a religious council, and urged them to surrender themselves, an opposition group said.
Last night, security forces of Bahrain’s interior ministry and militias along with armored vehicles surrounded the houses of Sayed Majeed Al-Mishal and Sheikh Mohammed Almansi, leaders of the Islamic Clerics Council, to deliver summons requesting them to appear at the country’s Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) this morning, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Bahrain’s main opposition group, said in its official website.
“However, the CID deprived the clerics from legal access during interrogation although their lawyer was present,” the opposition group added.
“The direct targeting of the religious leaders comes just hours after the King’s talks with the Vatican about religious tolerance in Bahrain. However, systematic religious persecution continues to be practiced against clerics.”
“The Islamic Clerics Council was dissolved through a politically-motivated verdict some months ago. This was followed by the deportation of Ayatollah Sheikh Hussain Alnajati, a prominent spiritual leader.”
Since February 2011, thousands of anti-regime rallies have been held almost on a daily basis across the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy in defiance of the tough security clampdown. The peaceful protesters call on the ruling Al Khalifa regime to quit power.
Hundreds of protesters have lost their lives and many others put behind bars in a Saudi-backed military crackdown on the rallies.
On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to Bahrain to help thke Manama regime to crackdown on the peaceful protests.
