Thousands Rally Demanding Reforms, Marzouq Temporarily Released: Bahrain

Local Editor

Peaceful protesters have staged a demonstration near the Bahraini capital Manama, calling for political reforms in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

On Friday, thousands of Bahrainis held the anti-regime protest rally in solidarity with freelance journalist and photographer Hussain Hubail, who has been in al-Khalifa regime's custody for nearly three months.

Hubail was arrested on August 1 on charges of taking part in unauthorized protests and campaigning against the Bahraini regime through social networks.

Clashes broke out between the protesters and Saudi-backed security forces during Friday's demonstration, in which the protesters also called for a democratic transition in the country.

Earlier on Thursday, a senior Bahraini opposition politician was temporarily freed by the court trying him on charges that include inciting terrorism, in a surprise conciliatory ruling in the US-allied Gulf Arab state, Reuters reported.
Khalil al-Marzouq, a former parliament member, was detained in September by police investigating his alleged promotion of terrorism, causing outcry from his al-Wefaq party, Bahrain's largest opposition group.

On Tuesday, Wefaq said Marzouq's trial shows "the political persecution and exclusion the authorities are practicing", accusing them in a statement of "taking advantage of their power for vengeful purposes against those demanding democracy".

Marzouq, appearing in court for the first time amid tight security, denied all charges. The judge said he could go free until his next hearing on November 18.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy peaceful protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the al-Khalifa royal family to abandon power.

Source: Agencies