Bahrain Mirror: Activists said that the Bahraini authorities arrested 6 citizens residing in Diraz a day after it arrested another 9 for attempting to perform the congregational prayer on Friday (July 22, 2016) in the village that has been besieged since last month. The 6 citizens received notices to represent before the police center for interrogation, before the authorities decided to arrest them.

This comes a day after the authorities arrested 9 others over the charges of "holding an assembly on the public street in Diraz". Meanwhile, residents stressed that the arrested were only Shiite worshippers who wanted to perform the congregational prayer in the besieged village.

The security authorities that deploy checkpoints and control the processes of entering and leaving Diraz since June, prevented Sheikh Mohammad Sanqour, Imam of Friday prayer, from entering the village to lead the prayers.

Security forces were heavily spread along with armored and military vehicles on the entrances of the village in an attempt to prevent worshippers from entering.

However, the Director-General of the Northern Governorate Police said that "rumors about a ban on Friday prayers in Deraz are false. Legal steps would be taken against those who spread false information."

Meanwhile, the public prosecution announced that it questioned 9 suspects, in the presence of their defence, and ordered the release of two of them due to their personal conditions and the old age of one of them. The Public Prosecution remanded the remaining suspects in custody pending investigations, and charged all defendants with holding an assembly in violations of the provisions of the Law.

Activists said that "more than 50 citizens leaving Diraz were arrested and transferred to Budai police station after insisting to perform Friday prayers."

Arabic Version