Bahrain Frees Former AFP Photographer

Bahraini authorities on Thursday released award-winning photographer Mohammed al-Shaikh after holding him for more than 24 hours over his work for AFP, according to his family.

Relatives said al-Shaikh, who worked for AFP in Bahrain for several years until his press permit was denied renewal last August, had been detained at Manama airport late Tuesday on his return from a trip overseas. 

His family said he does not face charges. 

Bahraini authorities did not respond to AFP's requests for an explanation for his arrest.

Al-Shaikh won the 2014 Bayeux-Calvados prize for his coverage of events in the tiny Gulf kingdom, rocked from 2011 onwards by an Arab Spring-inspired uprising and ensuing crackdown.

Rights groups regularly criticize the Sunni-ruled kingdom over its harsh treatment of dissenters.

Last year saw a further tightening of restrictions on journalists. Authorities refused to issue visas or renew accreditations for reporters working for foreign outlets.

Nazeeha Saeed, a journalist working for France 24 and Arabic radio station Monte Carlo Doualiya, is currently on trial for working "without the necessary authorization."