(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A number of Bahraini citizens who have fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to escape the ongoing violent attacks on peaceful anti-government protesters say the ruling Al Khalifa regime is stepping up pressure against Shia civilians in Bahrain.
They say the Shia Muslims are being harassed and maltreated in Bahrain on the basis of their religion.
"Bahraini forces launch violent night raids on the houses of Shia Muslims and beat them severely only because they are Shias," an unnamed Bahraini woman said.
The Bahraini citizens in the UAE also accused the Manama regime of banning people from buying goods at Shia-owned stores but claim to be holding national talks for peace.
"Bahrain's military also bans families from buying goods from Shias' shops and forces them to avoid having contacts with Shia families,” the Bahraini woman added.
In mid-March, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed their military forces in Bahrain to assist the Manama regime in its brutal crackdown on popular anti-government protests in the tiny Persian Gulf sheikdom.
The Al Khalifa regime has also been engaged in arresting rights activists, opposition figures, journalists, former lawmakers, senior clerics, doctors and nurses.
Both the United Nations Human Rights office and Amnesty International have condemned the Bahraini regime's brutal crackdown on and detention of peaceful anti-government protesters.
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