RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi authorities have ordered imprisonment and lash for a number of Shiite citizens accused of participating in protests against religious police in the holy city of Medinah in last February.

The protests were held in various cities of the kingdom against attacks of Saudi religious police on Shiite pilgrims of Al-Baqee cemetery.

According to reports the first clash took place February 20 after religious police filmed female Shiite pilgrims outside the al-Baqee Cemetery in Medina, which contains the graves of revered imams i.e. Al-Imam al-Hasan Al-Mojtaba, Al-Imam Zein Al-Abidein, Al-Imam Al-Baqir and Al-Imam As-Sadeq (peace be on them). The women were performing rituals.

Shiite pilgrims to al-Baqee Cemetery usually grab a handful of dust as a blessing and pray at the graves of the imams, actions rejected as inappropriate "innovations" by the puritanical Wahhabi interpretation of Islam.

When five male relatives of the women demanded the police turn over the tapes, there was a scuffle and the men were arrested.

Afterward, thousands of pilgrims gathered outside the cemetery, demanding their release. Riot police used batons to disperse the crowd, said witnesses.

Next week on Monday, another confrontation took place when the religious police banned female Shiite pilgrims from visiting an area reserved for them outside the cemetery overlooking the graves. In Saudi Arabia, all women are banned from visiting cemeteries so special viewing areas are created for them.

Witnesses said police used batons against the angry Shiite crowd, which was estimated at 3,000-4,000.

On Tuesday, thousands of pilgrims after performing pilgrimage to Al-Baqee cemetery entered the holy shrine of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him and his holy progeny) marking his death anniversary that falls on Safar 28.

At once, they saw that more than one hundred personnel of religious police coming towards them with worshippers’ sandals, shoes, chairs as well as batons in their hands.

Keeping in view the sanctity of the place – (prophet mosque and his shrine), the pilgrims tried to go out the shrine but the police beat everyone who tried to step out.

Many pilgrims were wounded with knives.