Bahrain detains 30 persons maintaining solidarity with al-Khawaja

The Bahraini security forces have dispersed by force massive demonstrations in cars that took the streets of the country in solidarity with the executive director of the Bahrain Center For Human Rights, Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja, who has been detained since the end of September and detained other 30 persons.

Participants in the demonstration said that the security forces fired tear gas on the participants and cordoned them in the streets leading to King Fahd Bridge and Cobry area. The authority also blocked the four main streets in the capital Manama to close the road before the demonstrators and this resulted in a traffic jam. The demonstrators call for the release of al-Khawaja who is accused by the government of violating the state's establishments law.

Menatime, the woman activist in the field of human rights in Bahrain, Ramla Jawad, said that the move of the demonstrators was peaceful but caused security violation. Since the detention of al-Khawaja Bahrain witness several protests demanding his release.

A court in Manama postponed al-Khawaja trial until December 3rd but with continued imprisonment. Once again, al-Khawaja defended himself before the court against accusations addressed to him and that his trial is unconstitutional, according to the state security law, and the sanctions law.

The securities arrested al-Khawaja after he delivered a lecture on poverty in Bahrain in which he accused officials "of overstepping their authority." Al-Arouba club which host his lecture was blocked temporarily.

Al-Khawaja was accused of provoking "hatred for the regime and dissemination of provocative rumors that will lead to public unrest and damaging the national interest." Washington expressed its regret over the detention and trial of the Bahraini activists and the US Department Of State recently expressed its fears to that this represents a recession of what it called the democratic process in Bahrain.