Bahrain Freedom Movement Issues Statement on Anniversary of ‘Occupation’
The Bahrain Freedom Movement said in the statement that the “occupation” of Bahrain by the forces of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since 2011 is a big crime for which the ruling Al Khalifa regime is responsible, al-Alam TV reported.
The movement added that the occupation has pushed the Bahraini issues toward a point of no return.
The statement went on to say that the people of Bahrain consider the occupation forces and the Peninsula Shield Force as their enemy.
Since February 14, 2011, thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations on an almost daily basis in the island kingdom, calling for the ruling Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.
In March that year, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in suppressing peaceful pro-democracy protesters.
The ongoing heavy-handed crackdown has left scores of people dead and hundreds others injured. A number of the victims died in prison under torture.
Manama has also jailed many opposition figures, including Sheikh Ali Salman, the secretary general of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, and Ibrahim Sharif, the leader of the National Democratic Action Society (Wa’ad), Bahrain’s largest leftist political party.
UK-based Amnesty International and other rights groups have repeatedly censured the Bahraini regime over the “rampant” human rights abuses against oppositionists and anti-government protesters.
