MANAMA (Dispatches) -- 
Bahraini security forces prevented Shia Muslims from holding central Friday prayers for the 104th consecutive week, deploying heavily around the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in the village of al-Diraz, activists said Saturday.
Mercenaries and civilian militia forces backed by military vehicles and heavily armed units surrounded the mosque on Friday, blocking worshippers from reaching the site, according to the February 14 Coalition, an opposition group. 
The ban has been in place since October 4, 2024, when authorities cracked down on commemorations for Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The ongoing restrictions coincide with escalating rhetoric from Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah against imprisoned Shia scholars. 
In remarks reported this week, the minister accused the detainees of seeking to “dominate the Shia street” and “infiltrate state institutions,” alleging links to Iran’s Velayat-e Faqih doctrine. 
Observers warn the statements signal potentially harsh sentences ahead for the detained clerics, with the Bahrain Mirror describing the situation as an “ugly sectarian war against authentic religious beliefs.”
Dozens of scholars and hundreds of Shia citizens remain in detention following a sweeping arrest campaign that began after the February 28 U.S. terrorist war on Iran. 
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has documented a systematic policy of sectarian marginalization, noting that the denial of Friday prayers constitutes a violation of Bahrain’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religious rituals, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The crackdown continued as Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa arrived in Malaysia to attend the Formula 1 Persian Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit. 
The race, relocated from Bahrain due to geopolitical tensions, marks the 22nd edition of the event and the return of Formula 1 to Malaysia after a nine-year absence.
The crown prince was received by members of the Johor royal family and Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Muhammad Taufiq Johari . He is scheduled to attend the main race on Sunday.