Saudi protesters demand release of political prisoners

Saudi anti-government demonstrators have taken to the streets across the oil-rich Eastern Province to demand the release of political prisoners.The protests were held in Qatif and several nearby towns, including Awamiyah, on Friday. Activists say over 30,000 people are locked up in Saudi jails solely because of their demands for reform.

Last October, the US-based Human Rights Watch called on Saudi authorities to stop the ''arbitrary arrests of peaceful protesters, relatives of wanted persons, and human rights activists'' in Eastern Province. The arrests in Saudi Arabia have been carried out despite the fact that the authoritarian kingdom is a party to the Arab Charter on Human Rights, Article 14 of which prohibits arbitrary detention. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also criticized the Al Saud regime for silencing dissent through intimidation and the violation of the basic rights of citizens. Saudi Arabia's east has been the scene of anti-government protests since February 2011, with demonstrators demanding rights reforms, freedom of expression and the release of political prisoners. Several demonstrators have been killed and dozens of activists have been arrested since the beginning of the protests in the region. Riyadh has intensified its crackdown on anti-government protesters since the beginning of 2012.