Saudi Protest grow in Calls for Freedom of Political Prisoners

Saudis Stage Protest Rallies to Call for Freedom of Political Prisoners
21 January, 2013 – Amnesty International

TEHRAN (FNA)- Large crowds of people staged protest rallies across Saudi Arabia to condemn the Saudi regime’s crackdown on popular protests and call for the release of political prisoners.

Local media reports said that protests were held in a number of Saudi cities, including Riyadh, Medina, al-Dammam and Buraida.
During the rallies, protesters blasted the Saudi regime for its continued detention of citizens and activists and clampdown on protests.

The marchers chanted slogans for the release of political prisoners, and called on the international human rights groups to act for the freedom of those who have been held in prison for a long period of time without charge.

Earlier this month, Amnesty International said that a group of women protesters detained by the Saudi authorities must be released unless they are charged with an internationally recognizable crime.

At least 11 women are still believed to be in detention in the Central city of Buraida as well as in the capital Riyadh after being held at a protest in Buraida on 5 January, Amnesty International reported in January.

Saudi Arabia is witnessing daily popular protests to mark the deaths of at least 15 people in connection with protests in the country since last year.

Reports vary as to how those killed in connection with the protests lost their lives. Eyewitnesses have said that some of those who died were either not taking part in demonstrations or, if they were, posed little or no risk to the security forces.

All demonstrations are banned in Saudi Arabia, but they have been taking place in Saudi Arabia’s predominantly Shiite Muslim Eastern Province since February 2011 to protest the arrest, imprisonment and harassment of members of the Shiite community for holding collective prayer meetings, celebrating Shiite religious festivals and for breaching restrictions on building Shiite mosques and religious schools.

The demonstrations in the Eastern Province have been inspired in part by protests that swept the Middle-East and North Africa region in 2011.

The Saudi authorities have responded with repressive measures against those suspected of taking part in or supporting protests or of expressing views critical of the state.

Protesters have been held without charge and incommunicado for days or weeks at a time, and in some cases reportedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while in detention. …more