Saudi police arrested 25 protesters in one week: Activists

Saudi activists say regime forces have arrested about 25 demonstrators in the Qatif region of the Eastern Province over the past week, Press TV reports.


On Tuesday, Saudi activists said the regime forces have arrested a demonstrator in Qatif, bringing the number of protesters detained over the past week to 25.

The activists said a poet and a journalist were also arrested in Qatif on Saturday over allegations that they were involved in “anti-government” activities.

All the arrested protesters have been detained without a warrant and their whereabouts are still unknown to their families, the activists said.

Since February 2011, Saudi protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in the oil-rich Eastern Province, mainly in Qatif and the town of 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.

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.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.”