Regime forces injure Bahrain's senior rights activist

Bahrain’s senior female human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja has been injured after regime forces shot her in the leg with a tear gas canister. A member of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said he saw police fire the canister at Khawaja at close range after anti-government protesters gathered on Wednesday in the village of Buri, southwest of the capital Manama, the Associated Press reported. According to Yousef al-Muhafedha, the police apparently recognized Khawaja before targeting her. Khawaja was arrested one day before the Formula One Grand Prix while sitting peacefully in the middle of a main road leading to the Bahrain International Circuit, demanding cancellation of the race and an end to the Saudi-backed crackdown on popular protests. Zainab has been arrested several times for organizing protests demanding the release of her father, prominent activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, whose 100-day-hunger strike against his detention conditions brought renewed international attention to the protest movement in Bahrain.

"A member of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said he saw police fire the canister at Khawaja at close range after anti-government protesters gathered on Wednesday in the village of Buri, southwest of the capital Manama, the Associated Press reported"The Persian Gulf island nation has experienced almost daily demonstrations since mid-February 2011, demanding political reform and a constitutional monarchy. The popular demand, however, gradually changed into an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following brutal crackdown on popular protests. Scores of people have also been killed and many others have been injured in the Saudi-backed crackdown on peaceful protesters in Bahrain