In the capital Riyadh, the protesters gathered outside the interior
ministry and urged Saudi authorities to release what they called
“forgotten political prisoners” who have been detained for demanding
reforms in their country.
Protesters say prisoners are being held unjustly and without trial, some for as long as 16 years.
In the eastern city of Qatif, protesters poured into the streets, condemning Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Bahrain.
Expressing solidarity with anti-government protesters in Bahrain,
the Saudis urged the immediate withdrawal of the Kingdom's troops from
the neighboring country.
Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Bahrain comes despite the
convention of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council, which bans any
interference in the regional countries' domestic affairs.
They also called for the release of political prisoners and an end to human rights violations in the country.
Saudi Arabia's oil-producing east has been the scene of anti-government protests over the past weeks.
According to a Saudi-based human rights group, Saudi authorities
have arrested one hundred protesters for taking part or organizing
anti-government demonstrations.
Human Rights First Society (HRFS) also revealed that some of the detainees were subject to torture both physically and mentally.
In Saudi Arabia, protest rallies and any public displays of dissent
are forbidden and are considered illegal. Senior Wahhabi clerics in the
kingdom have also censured opposition demonstrations as "un-Islamic."
