Sectarian Arrests Continue in Al-Hassa

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Rasid - 24 / 7 / 2009 - 9:08 pm

Al-Hassan (left) and Al-Harbi

Saudi security authorities waged several sectarian arrests campaign against five Saudi Shia in Al-Hassa, East of Saudi Arabia, in continuation to the previous sectarian suppression campaign which has lessened recently.

Several people informed Rasid that all arrests were due to participating in religious activities. Bader Hussain Al-Harbi (19 years old) and Sayed Mustafa Al-Hassan (26 years old) from Al-Rumailah village were arrested on last Monday.

Al-Hassan was accused of hanging black signboards on the streets of the village during religious festivals. He has just got married three days back and was arrested in a travel agency where he was planning for the honeymoon in Al-Madinah, West of Saudi Arabia.

Among the arrests were Nadhmi Bujabara and Haydar Abdullah Al-Ismaeel for participating in Hussaini rituals. Saud Al-Haddad was arrested for distributing candy in his shop during the festival of Prophet Mohammad birth date on last March.

All detainees were sent to Al-Hassa General Prison. They were told that their imprisonment of one month was based on the instruction of Al-Hassa Governor Bader Ibn Jalawi.

These arrests precede several Shia festivals which Shia celebrate during the months of Shaaban and Ramadan.

Several local people believe that these arrests are meant for terrorizing those responsible for arranging Shia festivals.

On recent years, hundreds of Shia citizens were arrested in Al-Hassa and several mosques, Hussainya and religous forums were closed as per instruction from the Governor.