Bahraini security forces disperse a demonstration, detain several persons
Bahrain, Politics, 3/13/2006

The Bahraini security forces dispersed a demonstration for the families and relatives of prisoners who were sentenced by the authorities in acts of riots in Bahrain airport and arrested several participants in the demonstration.

The demonstration which took place on Friday evening was converted into confrontations with the riot-fighting forces near al-Dana trade complex to the north of the capital Manama.

Witnesses said that the protesters fled into inside the trade center as soon as the riot fighting forces arrived. The witnesses added that the riot fighting forces chased them until inside the center and this resulted in injuring or arresting many of them.

The legal activist Abdul hadi al-Khawaja who was attending the demonstration said that "there were casualties and negotiations that took place between the security forces and the protesters inside the complex in order to evacuate the injured, and then three ambulances came to evacuate the injured. There were 13 casualties and great number of arrested persons."

Human rights activists Nabil Rajab said that the police opened tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators after their had chanted slogans against the prime minister Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa.

One police official told the Bahrain news agency that the demonstrators broke into a trade center and damaged properties and that security forces were obliged to enter the trade complex in order to get out what he called riot provokers, and to return things back to normalcy, noting that several persons were arrested but did not specify the number.

A Bahraini court issued in February two year imprisonment sentences against 16 persons on charge of gathering in Bahrain airport in mid December 2005, in protest of the arrest of the Shiite clergy Muhammad Sanad who was coming from Iran, then.

Previous Stories:
  US government report on Bahrain's human rights   (3/10/2006)
  Bahrainis demonstrate seeking constitutional reforms   (12/12/2005)
  15 teenagers protesting unemployment arrested in Bahrain   (12/3/2005)

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