Bahrain protest against regime days before uprising anniversary

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A Bahrain Mirror newspaper report said Bahrainis on Saturday took to the streets to demonstrate against their oppressive regime.

The Bahraini opposition's website report said demonstrations took place in several cities all over Bahrain, with protestors commemorating the popular uprising that swooped through the country in 2011 with the aim of toppling the Al-Khalifa regime.

Demonstrators chanted slogans against Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his regime, calling for freedom and democracy in their country.

The protests took place regardless of the authorities' attempts to suppress them via various means, such as tightening security.

The Bahraini ministry of interior arrested several demonstrators in various cities, claiming the arrests were made to question the protestors. The arrests were part of a series of arbitrary arrests against civilians in the country.

The popular uprising in Bahrain began on February 14, 2011, and Bahrainis have been holding marches and demonstrations annually to commemorate their uprising in the face of the Bahraini regime.

Bahrain arbitrarily detains children in orphanage

Added to the violations the Bahraini regime continues to commit against its people, the Bahraini authorities have six boys, aged between 14-15, detained in a child welfare facility, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch reported Tuesday.

The Bahraini authorities, under fire for repeated human rights violations, did not provide the detained children or their families with any justifications for their detention, denying the latter's requests to be present during interrogations and visit their sons.

The children come from three different families, and the public prosecutors first summoned them for questioning in June of last year. Some were interrogated at least eight times, and the state did not allow for the presence of their parents.

One of the parents said his son told him allegations changed throughout the interrogations. "First it was about burning a tire, then it was attacking a police station, and then it was throwing a Molotov cocktail. My son told me that when they asked him a question they screamed at him not to lie."

Five of the boys have been in detention since December 27, when the Public Prosecution summoned them. The authorities detained the sixth on January 9. 

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