Islam Times - Bahraini regime forces arrest 13 civilians in one week: Rights group

Islam Times - Bahraini forces have arrested more than a dozen civilians in one week as the ruling Al Khalifa regime pushes ahead with its heavy-handed crackdown on anti-regime rallies in the Persian Gulf country.

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights announced on Tuesday that regime soldiers arrested at least 13 people between October 5 and October 11, and that four children were among those detained, Arabic-language and independent newspaper Manama Post reported.

The center added that four people were rounded up on the streets, three were arrested after showing up at court and two others at security checkpoints.

A Bahraini national was detained following a raid by regime forces on his house, and another in a similar assault on his office.

A twelfth detainee was arrested while traveling along the King Fahd Causeway, which connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, while the last was arrested at Bahrain International Airport, which is located in Muharraq Island and about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) northeast of the capital, Manama.

The Bahraini non-governmental organization further said that Bahraini courts sentenced 12 nationals to a total of 86 years in prison during the mentioned period, and adjourned the trial of 40 others in different cases.

On Monday evening, scores of protesters took to the streets in several villages on the island of Sitra, located south of Manama, calling for the release of political prisoners. However, the protests turned violent when Bahraini forces attacked the gatherings and fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.

Bahraini regime forces, backed by Saudi troops, have cracked down on the protesters, killing scores of them. A large number of Bahraini activists are also languishing behind bars.