Bahraini regime has arrested at least 60 protest leaders ahead of a controversial Formula One Grand Prix scheduled to be held on April 22.
Bahraini activists said on Tuesday that the Saudi-backed regime forces had made the arrests in the villages of Bani Jamra, Sitra, Ghuraifa, Diraz, Ma'amir, and Sehla, Reuters reported.
“It started in Bani Jamra last Thursday, then Sitra, Ghuraifa, Diraz, Ma'amir, and Sehla," said Mohammed al-Maskati, the head of Bahraini rights group, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.
The activists also say the ruling Al Khalifa regime forces have used live bullets against peaceful protesters.
The regime has escalated its crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in recent days to prevent widespread protest action during the Formula One race.
Anti-regime demonstrators condemn the auto race, which is going to be held on the Persian Gulf island, despite the regime’s ongoing violent suppression campaign against the protesters.
Meanwhile, thousands of Bahrainis held an anti-regime demonstration in the village of Deir on the northern coast of the Muharraq Island in northeastern Bahrain to demand an end to the Saudi-backed crackdown on popular protests.
Amnesty International has said that it has received credible reports of the use of torture in the Bahraini jails, despite pledges of reform by the ruling Al Khalifa family.
"The authorities are trying to portray the country as being on the road to reform, but we continue to receive reports of torture and use of unnecessary and excessive force against protests," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, the Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, in a statement.
Scores of people have been killed and many others injured in the crackdown on the popular revolution, which started in February, 2011.
The demonstrators hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths.
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