Bahrainis rally to demand end to regime rights violations

The rally against the Manama regime rights violations was held in Sitra, south of Manama, on Monday.

The protesters also expressed solidarity with the victims of the Manama crackdown on anti-regime protests and demanded the release of political prisoners.

The Sitra rally comes days after tens of thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets west of Manama, demanding real democracy.

"The movement in Bahrain will continue and the people will not leave the fields. They are out demanding freedom and democracy and will not back down unless either by victory or martyrdom," Abdul Nabi al-Hamar, an anti-regime protester said on Friday.

Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been the scene of anti-regime protests since February 2011 and scores of people have been killed and hundreds more injured in the regime crackdown. Many others, including opposition leaders and human rights activists, were also given long jail terms as part of the crackdown.

A report published by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in November 2011 said regime forces "resorted to the use of unnecessary and excessive force, terror-inspiring behavior and unnecessary damage to property," during popular protests in the country.

Bahraini protesters hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the death of the demonstrators during the uprising.