Saudi authorities continue to arrest pro-reform activists over fears popular anti-government protests might spread across the kingdom.
Over the past week, the Saudi police raided the houses of two Shia internet activists, named Mustafa al-Mubarak and Hussein al-Hashem, detaining them for taking part in the demonstrations, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
A 58-year-old man, named Samir Aldahim, has also been arrested under the same pretext.
Earlier in the month, a Human Rights Watch report said the authorities have arrested over 160 activists in Saudi Arabia since February.
“The series of arrests are still continuing today,” the agency quoted an unnamed activist as saying.
“Even ordinary people have been detained for taking part in demonstrations. They are summoned while at work or taken from their homes,” he said.
“In this last week, there were no less than 10 detentions and they were all transferred to jail. Their families believe it is because they have participated in demonstrations.”
The Saudi nationals have been voicing outrage at Riyadh's continued imprisonment of people without charge and the suppression of women's rights. The unemployed have been rallying for job opportunities and their share of the biggest Arab economy's oil income.
Riyadh has also sparked outrage among the country's public for dispatching troops to Bahrain to aid Manama's current deadly crackdown on the popular protests there.
The protests have been held despite a ban by the Interior Ministry on all kinds of demonstrations and public gatherings.
HN/AKM