The Saudi Criminal Investigation department in a hostile action arrested Zuhair Husain AlboSaleh ,43 years ,in a move to put pressure on his father, the guardian of Althoqba prayer place, Hussein Albossalh, 70 years, in order to force him to sign a pledge to close the prayer sermon led by Sheikh Yousef Mezni in Khobar city.

The authorities who had summoned Albossalh earlier, after failing to arrest him at his father’s house due to his residence in Riyadh, got him arrested as he arrived at Olaya police centre in Riyadh on Wednesday without formal indictment ,denying him the visit.

This comes in the context of a fierce campaign waged by local authorities against imams and supervisors of the three Shia mosques in the Eastern City .It have arrested a number of them over the last months and have ,also, cordoned off the mosque with security patrols and secret police agents for the last three weeks and prevented access to the congregation.

On 10 July , the police prevented the Shi’a citizens to enter al-Thaqba mosque to hold Friday prayers for the third time .

On 5 June 2008 the Saudi authorities also closed down three Shi’a mosques in al-Khobar city  and arrested three religious scholars ( Sayyid Hashim Ali al-Naser , prayer leader of al-Khobar mosque , Sayyid Mohammad Baqir al-Naser prayer leader of al-Azeziyah mosque , Shaikh Yousif al-Mazeny prayer leader of al-Athaqba mosque.

It is worth to be mentioned that the Criminal Investigation department On 25 May 2009, failed earlier to arrest Ali Abdullah Al-Muhanna to intimidate his detained father, the supervisor of one of the prayer places annexed to his house, forcing him to close it down. Al-Muhanna, the father, was released two weeks ago.

Shiites in the Eastern Province are not allowed to build new mosques nor allowed to expand or remodel existing mosques. The Saudi regime also prohibits Shiites from building new Husseinats (religious community halls), where they conduct funeral ceremonies and other religious services.  It also refuses to grant permission to build new halls.

Shiite mosques in mixed neighborhoods were required to recite the Sunni call to prayer, which is distinct from their own, during prayer times.

Zohair Albo Saleh was accused of false charge and he is still arrested in the police center of Al-Olaya Quarter in Riyadh .