RIYADH: Eight Bahrainis, who were arrested in February for entering a restricted military zone in the Kingdom, have been released under the orders of Crown Prince Sultan, press reports said yesterday quoting Bahrain’s Ambassador to Riyadh Moussa Al-Naeemi.
“The Bahrainis will not face further questioning when they return home,” Al-Naeemi said. “The issue was resolved after King Hamad met Prince Sultan recently,” he said.
Al-Naeemi said administrative procedures are being completed to hand over the seven teachers and an engineer to their relatives.
According to one report, the eight men were arrested on suspicion of spying. But the Bahrainis rejected the allegation and said they had lost their way.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said Manama had been following up the case since the men’s arrest.
Saudi authorities had allowed the relatives of the men to visit them at Al-Hair Prison in Riyadh. The eight are: Majdi Al-Ghasra, Abbas Ibrahim, Sayed Ahmed Abdullah, Issa Ahmed, Mohammed Marhoon, Mohammad Al-Moamen, Ibrahim Marzam and Mohamed Mahdi.
“We heard the news of the release from our ambassador in Riyadh,” said Muhammad Al-Ghasra, brother of Majdi.
