According to acting president of the Bahrain Human Rights Center, Yousef al-Muhafedha, the blogger Mohamed Hassan was arrested early on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

The detention comes just days after Bahrain’s loyalist-dominated parliament approved a bill empowering authorities to address what they called an upsurge in “terrorist” violence in the country, which in reality aims at quelling anti-regime protests.

The recommendation empowers authorities to revoke the citizenship of anyone “recognized as guilty of committing or inciting an act of terrorism.”

During the extraordinary session on Sunday which was requested by King Hamad in the midst of a parliamentary recess, the lawmakers also approved a bill banning gatherings and rallies in the capital.

Bahrainis are preparing to hold mass anti-regime demonstrations on August 14. The Manama regime has warned that anyone participating in protests would face the “force of the law”.

The Bahraini uprising began in mid-February 2011, when the people, inspired by the popular revolutions that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive anti-government demonstrations.

The Manama regime launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.

Scores of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have detained hundreds, including doctors and nurses.

HM/KA