Former representative of opposition al-Wefaq party in Bahrain’s parliament, Jawad Fairouz told al-Alam on Sunday that the ruling Al Khalifa regime has banned protesters and political activists to stage any demonstrations against the government.

Bahrain’s parliament on Wednesday ratified a new legislation under which people should pay $53,000 in bail to the government if they want to go on any peaceful demonstration.

Fairouz said that key areas in the capital Manama and its surrounding towns are now under a siege imposed by the government. “They (regime forces) claim that their presence is for maintaining security, but they are there to attack anyone, at any time they want,” the former Bahraini MP said.

Fairouz said Al Khalifa forces have already destroyed at least 38 mosques in the country and no one has given any response as to why they were attacked and demolished.

According to human rights observers, freedom of speech in Bahrain is getting worse by the day and whoever says something against the government is either detained or labeled as terrorist, Fairouz added.

The Al Khalifa family has ruled the Bahrain for more than two centuries. Bahrain gained independence in 1971 after more than a hundred years as a British protectorate.

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

The Manama regime has arrested many rights activists, doctors and nurses since the uprising began.

Bahrainis say they will continue holding anti-regime demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically-elected government and an end to rights violations is met.