On Thursday, Bahraini demonstrators staged a fresh protest rally in the country’s northeastern island of Sitra, condemning attempts by the Manama regime to discourage people from attending religious ceremonies.

Meanwhile, anti-regime protesters held a demonstration in the village of Sanabis, situated in the suburbs of Manama, to express solidarity with female activists who have been imprisoned for participating in anti-regime protests.

Over the past few months, the Bahraini regime has intensified its heavy-handed crackdown on activists and peaceful demonstrators in the country, Press TV reported.

On December 24, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights denounced the Manama regime for arresting and torturing the youth and keeping them in detention for long periods.

Bahrain’s main opposition groups al-Wefaq National Islamic Society and the National Democratic Action Society (NDAS) have also blamed the regime for lacking political will to carry out reforms, saying they have no choice but to boycott the 2014 parliamentary and municipal polls.

Bahrainis have been staging demonstrations since mid-February 2011, calling for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.