"We are pursuing a specific goal through this referendum that is sending this message to the world that Bahraini people believe in democracy and want free election," Mortada al-Sanadi said during a press conference at Fars News Agency in Tehran on Sunday.
The conference was also attended by a number of prominent Bahraini opposition politicians and democracy activists, including Rashed al-Rashed, the leader of the Islamic Action Society, and Sheikh Abdulla Saleh, the deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Action society.
The Bahrainis want to hold a referendum on their country’s independence from Saudi Arabia, considering that Saudi Arabia has "occupied" Bahrain since the uprising erupted in 2011, Sanadi said. "The Bahraini people want to topple the ruling regime," he added.
We want to show to the international community that some strong countries such as the US and Britain, which support Bahrain’s al-Khalifa regime and Saudi Arabia and hide their crimes, lie when they claim they support democracy and human rights.
Referring to how the referendum will be held, Rashed al-Rashed said despite the regime’s heavy crackdown on the pro-democracy protesters, the Bahraini uprising has been proven and shown to everyone. "We can hold this referendum the same way that we have managed the revolution."
Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty.
Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.
So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.