Bahraini protesters hoist a released political prisoner in the air at Pearl roundabout, Manama, on February 22, 2011.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Bahrain’s King Hamad arrives in Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain urges ‘national dialogue’ as protests continue
- Tens of thousands gather Tuesday for biggest anti-government rally yet
Manama (CNN) — Bahrain has released about 25 high-profile political detainees, following an order by the king to free those he described as “prisoners of conscience” and halt proceedings against others, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said Wednesday.
Among those released late Tuesday were the prominent blogger and human rights activist Ali Abdulemam, who runs bahrainonline.org; Abdul-Ghani Khanjar, a member of Committee for the Victims of Torture; and Mohammed Saeed, who works with the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
In addition, several prominent Shiite clerics were released as was Dr. Abduljalil Al-Sengais, spokesman of the Haq Movement for Civil Liberties and Democracy.
Nabil Rajab of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights told CNN that the releases bring to about 100 the number of political detainees so far released, but he says an estimated 400 people are still detained on politically-inspired charges.
The move to free prisoners comes as protests continued in Bahrain.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a day after a crush of protesters covered the streets of his country’s capital in anti-regime protests, according to Bahraini state television.
It was unclear why King Hamad took the trip.
Tens of thousands of people marched in the biggest anti-government rally since the public disturbances in the island nation erupted last week, and chants of “No Shia, No Sunni, only Bahraini” and “The regime must go” rang through the multitudes tramping across the center of Manama.
The turnout was led by ambulance workers involved in rescuing some of those injured in the assault by security forces last Thursday on the Pearl Roundabout, which has been the epicenter of the Shiite-dominated protest movement.
On Tuesday, King Hamad urged people to engage in a “national dialogue” and asked Bahrainis “to engage in this new process” and “move away from polarization,” according to a government statement.
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Bahrain frees prisoners as king goes to Saudi Arabia