Local Editor

Security forces in eastern the Saudi Arabia Kingdom have cracked down on a large demonstration in the eastern city of Qatif, killing two people and injuring at least 20.

The two martyrs are Sayyed Akbar al Shakhuri, from al-Awmiya city and Sayyed Mohammad al-Felfel, from Qatif city.
Hundreds of protesters were reported to have taken to the streets on Sunday after Sheikh Nemer Nemer, a prominent Shia cleric and anti-government activist, was chased, shot and arrested while driving earlier in the day, said human rights activist Hussain al-Alk.

Alk, a Qatif resident and staffer at the Adala Center for Human Rights, said the arrest took place at around 4pm and that organizers called for mass demonstrations after the evening prayer.

"The protests were the largest in the city since November and December, when at least six demonstrators were shot and killed," Alk said. He said that he believed the government was prompted by influential Wahhabis to escalate its pressure on the Shia opposition.
Earlier, Saudi police have shot injured and arrested Ayatollah Nemer Nemer on Saturday 08 July 2012 at around 5 pm local time in Qatif.

According to witnesses, gun firing were heard and the pursuit ended when Ayatollah Nemer's car severely crashed a wall nearby house after firing bullets on his car.

The cleric was reportedly wounded when regime forces fired at his car.

Sources close to al-Nemer indicated that he has been injured. Shortly after the car accident, police members took Ayatollah Nemer to an unknown place while his car was left on its spot.

Sheikh Nemer's arrest was announced earlier by his brother and a Shiite advocacy group. "The police carried out an ambush in al-Awamiya, intercepting my brother's car and arresting him," Mohammed Nemer said. "On learning the news, I went to the place and found the empty car," he added.

Activists from the Justice and Human Rights group also confirmed the arrest of Nemer.
Saudi Interior ministry spokesman Mansur Turki, cited by the official SPA news agency, said "one of the instigators of sedition, Nemer Baqr Nemer, was arrested in al-Awamiya after being wounded while resisting the security forces."

Last week, al-Nemr had warned that his possible detention would intensify the protests in the Eastern Province, the center of rallies for over a year now.
In parallel, Saudi forces on Saturday arrested activist Saleh al-Ashwan at his home in Riyadh, without a warrant. There has been no word on his current whereabouts.

Source: ABNA, Edited by moqawama.org