Bahrain's main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society strongly condemned the regime's imposing of a ban on holding peaceful gatherings on World Press Freedom Day in a Saturday statement, adding that the move once again demonstrated the persisting violation of freedom of speech by Bahraini authorities.

According to the statement, Al Khalifa regime's security forces have set up checkpoints in several areas preventing people from entering main squares in the capital city of Manama and disrupting the traffic.

Imposing restrictions and bans on Bahraini citizen’s freedom of speech is a flagrant violation of international laws and depicts the current despotism of the Bahrain authorities, the statement added.

Bahrainis have been staging anti-government protests since mid-February 2011, calling for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protest rallies.

RA/MB