AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Sitra Island in Bahrain witnessed popular protests last night in condemnation of the continued detention and trial of Shia scholars.
In this regard, the "Mir'at al-Bahrain" website, referring to the ongoing trial of dozens of Shia scholars, reported that the latest trial session was held on August 19 and lasted 13 hours. In this session, the judges were present in one hall and the defendants in another, and witnesses testified via video link. According to reports, one of the witnesses also covered their face for fear of being identified and made false and baseless claims.
In recent months, the process of applying pressure on Bahrain's Shia has been accompanied by an increase in security arrests and religious restrictions. Last May, Bahraini security forces, by raiding Shia-populated areas, arrested a number of clerics and religious activists without presenting a judicial warrant and transferred them to unknown locations.
Also, on the eve of the month of Muharram, reports were published about the intensification of religious restrictions against the country's Shia. According to these reports, Shia clerics, preachers, and eulogists were summoned and interrogated, and commitments were obtained from them to refrain from raising certain topics in religious ceremonies. In addition, restrictions were imposed on holding mourning ceremonies, the duration of speeches, and the travel of Bahraini citizens to Iran and Iraq.
Bahraini political groups and human rights activists, condemning these actions, called for the immediate release of the detainees, an end to arbitrary arrests, and a halt to security policies and restrictions imposed against the Shia community in the country.
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