(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Bahraini media have reported a new security plan to "restore order" to the Persian Gulf monarchy and, in recent days, authorities have detained a leading activist and warned a top Shiite cleric to stop alleged incitement to violence.
Bahraini government spokesman Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa said, "Because of the escalation in violence, we are looking into the perpetrators and people who use print, broadcast and social media to encourage illegal protest and violence around the country."
"If applying the law means tougher action, then so be it," he added. The announcement came as Abduljalil Khalil, a senior member of the leading opposition party Wefaq, said this escalation is not good for the country. "It will take us back to square one."
"The talks have stopped, so the authorities are really moving to another phase of the security approach," he said. "I don't know if it was the hardliners in the family or from outside, but at any rate the outcome now is that everything has stopped."
Earlier, Bahraini protesters gathered in front of the house of the prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, and called for his freedom a day after authorities of the crisis-hit country arrested the activist at Manama airport.
The anti-regime rally was held in the Northwestern village of Bani Jamra to demand the release of detained human rights activist Nabeel Rajab. Bahraini authorities have arrested Rajab, foremost critic of the Al Khalifa regime, as they continue their brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters.
Nabeel Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights was detained at Bahrain's international airport on his return from Lebanon. The authorities have not commented on the reasons behind the arrest.
For fourteen months Al Khalifa forces have been using stun grenades, tear-gas and pepper-spray on protesters, though this was not enough to draw the attention of Western media. The abuses only came into the spotlight because of the protests surrounding the prestigious F1 Grand Prix event.
So far, tens of people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.
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