Jailed US journalists ready to fly out of Bahrain

Jailed US journalists ready to fly out of Bahrain
Four American journalists arrested while covering the fifth anniversary of the Bahrain uprisings have been released from prison and are heading for Manama airport.
1 min read
16 February, 2016
Four American journalists were arrested in Bahrain on Monday [Anadolu]

Four US journalists detained in Bahrain while covering the fifth anniversary of the country's uprising are to fly out of the country in the coming hours.

The journalists left the police station on Tuesday for Manama airport according to their lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi.

The four Americans will not face a travel ban allowing them to take a flight back to the US, the lawyer told The Associated Press.

They were detained on Monday for providing "false information that they were tourists". 

One journalist was also accused of taking part in an attack on police officers.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors said they had charged the journalists with illegally assembling with the intent to commit a crime.

Bahraini protesters clashed with police over the weekend, ahead of the fifth anniversary of demonstrations that rocked the country.

Five years ago, the Gulf island state witnessed mass protests mostly from Bahrain's majority Shia population who say they are economically and politically marginalised.

Demonstrations were suppressed after a Gulf troops and police officers entered the island to assist Bahraini security clampdown on dissent.

Manama has accused Iranian-linked "terror cells" of organising attacks on security forces in the country.

However, despite a wave of arrests of activists and allegations of torture, sporodic protests continue.

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