Bahraini Leading Activist Released as Protesters Brace for New Stage

The president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab has been released hours after appearing before a military court, as anti-government protests continue across the country.

This is while the Bahraini Justice Ministry has warned to continue its crackdown on anti-government protesters, adding that any unrest will face “all resulted consequences.''

Eleven weeks after it called in foreign troops to crush anti-government uprising, Bahrain announced Tuesday that it is ending the country’s state of emergency and inviting opponents to join wide-ranging talks on political reform.

The announcement by Bahrain’s royal palace came amid reports of a pullback of troops and tanks from some parts of the capital, Manama, which has remained under military control since the start of the crackdown March 15.

“We are seeking to fairly balance out the need to maintain law and order with the desire for freedoms,” Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa said in a statement released by Bahrain’s official news service.

But in a separate statement, the country’s Justice Ministry warned that the monarchy would not tolerate a return of the mass protests that paralyzed the tiny island country, which serves as home base for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. Justice officials warned of severe consequences for any “criminal acts and abuses against the nation's security and unity.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Bahrain Center for Human Rights stated that anti-government protests will enter a new stage on June 1. The youth committee on Facebook called for a peaceful protest and to go back to the Pearl Square roundabout.

On March 15, the Bahraini King declared a state of national safety to tighten security in the Gulf country.

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