The authorities are now threatening severe
penalties
, including capital punishment, for those involved in attacking places of worship. They are hoping this will deter further sectarian violence. Two churches were badly damaged by fire and around 200 people injured or killed after a protest by conservative Muslims escalated into an armed brawl. The Muslim group has surrounded a church in which they believed a convert to Islam was being held against her will. However, witnesses say that other men stirred up the violence by throwing petrol bombs at the church, provoking an exchange of gunfire.
巴林国王宣布将提前解除紧急状态
The King of Bahrain has ordered the current state of emergency to be lifted from June, 1st. It was imposed in March to try to stop anti-government protests. At least 30 people have died since the protests began in February. Richard Galpin reports.
The order which was announced on state media in Bahrain comes after a brutal crackdown by the security forces, which has stopped the protest movement by members of the majority Shiite community. Hundreds of activists have been
rounded up
since the state of emergency was imposed in mid-March. Several are alleged to have been killed while in police custody. Military courts have already sentenced four men to death. And on Sunday, 21 others, including opposition leaders, were charged with trying to overthrow the monarchy.