Saudi protesters in Riyadh demand release of political prisoners

Saudi protesters have taken to the streets in the capital, Riyadh, to express solidarity with political prisoners and those arrested in demonstrations against the ruling Al Saud regime, Press TV reports.

On Sunday, the demonstrators called on Saudi authorities to release all jailed opposition activists and prisoners of conscience. Saudis staged a similar protest rally in Riyadh on January 29, calling for the release of prisoners detained during the anti-regime demonstrations. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the excessive use of force by Saudi forces in quelling the anti-regime protests and condemned the Al Saud regime’s suppressive actions against dissidents. Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah in Eastern Province. The demonstrations turned into protests against the Al Saud regime after November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. Saudi forces have also arrested prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. In October 2012, Saudi officials warned that they would deal ‘firmly’ with anti-regime demonstrations. Amnesty International slammed the warning and urged the authorities to “withdraw their threat.”