Saudi Arabia authorities prohibit all protests and marches
March 5, 2011 - 19:04 AMT 15:04 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
Saudi Arabia said on March 5 it would ban all protests and marches
after minority Shi'ites staged small protests in the oil-producing
eastern province.
Security forces would use all measures to prevent any attempt to
disrupt public order, the interior ministry said in a statement
carried by state television.
The ban follows a series of protests by Saudi Shi'ites in the
kingdom's east in the past weeks mainly to demand the release of
prisoners they say are long held without trial.
Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority mostly live in the east, which holds
much of the oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter and is near
Bahrain, scene of protests by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni
rulers.
The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an
elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent,
denies these charges.
Last week, King Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month
medical absence and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in
an apparent bid to insulate the kingdom from protests spreading in
several Arab countries, Reuters reported.
From: A. Papazian
March 5, 2011 - 19:04 AMT 15:04 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
Saudi Arabia said on March 5 it would ban all protests and marches
after minority Shi'ites staged small protests in the oil-producing
eastern province.
Security forces would use all measures to prevent any attempt to
disrupt public order, the interior ministry said in a statement
carried by state television.
The ban follows a series of protests by Saudi Shi'ites in the
kingdom's east in the past weeks mainly to demand the release of
prisoners they say are long held without trial.
Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority mostly live in the east, which holds
much of the oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter and is near
Bahrain, scene of protests by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni
rulers.
The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an
elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent,
denies these charges.
Last week, King Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month
medical absence and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in
an apparent bid to insulate the kingdom from protests spreading in
several Arab countries, Reuters reported.
From: A. Papazian