Saudi forces fire on Peaceful Shia protesters in Qatif

Saudi forces fire on Peaceful Shia protesters in Qatif
25 January, 2012 – JafriaNews

JNN 24 Jan 2012 Qatif : Several Saudi protesters have been injured in an attack by security forces on a demonstration in the Qatif region of the Eastern Province, Press TV reports.

On Tuesday, Saudi security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Qatif that protested against the ruling Al Saud regime.

Some of the wounded are reportedly in critical condition.

Nine protesters were also arrested during the attack on Tuesday for involvement in anti-regime demonstrations in the region.

Saudi officials accuse the detainees of “shooting members of security forces” in Eastern Province.

On Monday, Saudi security forces detained Zaher al-Zaher, a social activist, in the town of Awamiyah in the Eastern Province.

Regime forces also killed 22-year-old protester Essam Mohamed Abu Abdellah and wounded three others in Awamiyah on January 12.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in the oil-rich Eastern Province, mainly in Qatif and Awamiyah, calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations have turned into protest rallies against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in Eastern Province.

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, has warned the kingdom against the brutal crackdown on protesters in Eastern Province and called on the Al Saud regime to stop bloodshed.

Saudi Arabia is a state party to the Arab Charter on Human Rights. Article 24 of the charter states that “every citizen has the right… to freely pursue a political activity [and] to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.” …source