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Bahraini Activist Zainab Alkhawaja Released; Protests Mark 3rd Anniversary of Uprising

HeadlineFeb 17, 2014

In Bahrain, human rights activist Zainab Alkhawaja has been released after nearly a year behind bars. Her release came on the heels of rallies marking the third anniversary of the pro-democracy protests that began on February 14, 2011. Protests against the Sunni regime have been crushed by martial law and a U.S.-backed invasion of Saudi Arabian forces. Scores of people were arrested ahead of protests on Friday, when police fired bird shot and tear gas at demonstrators. Tens of thousands of people defied the crackdown to march on Saturday. Zainab Alkhawaja is the daughter of activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who remains in prison serving a life sentence. After her release, Zainab Alkhawaja told journalists, including the Associated Press, that global attention should focus, not on her, but on Bahrain’s estimated 3,000 other political prisoners. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is a close ally of the United States.

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