Qatar releases captive Bahraini bodybuilder captured at sea

Qatar has released a bodybuilding champion and two other Bahrainis who had been detained during fishing trips, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

Manama on Sunday demanded Qatari authorities release bodybuilder Sami Al Haddad, who was arrested along with a compatriot on Friday in the third such incident in recent months and which occurred after Bahrain and its Arab allies agreed to end a political row with Doha.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that Qatari authorities had also released a Bahraini sailor arrested in December. It said their boats were still being held.

“Bahrain’s embassy in Oman confirmed that the Bahraini citizens have arrived there,” it said.

There was no immediate comment from Qatari authorities.

Manama on Sunday said it would reopen its airspace to Qatar as of Jan. 11 under a U.S.-backed deal earlier this month to end the dispute in which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in mid-2017.

All four nations have resumed air links with Qatar. A senior Emirati official has said that restoring diplomatic ties would take more time as parties rebuild trust.

The states imposed the boycott over accusations that Qatar supports terrorism. Doha denies that and says the embargo aims to curtail its sovereignty.

Source: Reuters

 

The Liberum

The subtitle of The Liberum ("the voice of the people is the voice of God") reflects the concept that the collective opinions and will of the people carry divine importance. They embody truth and wisdom, particularly in a non-partisan arena that profiles itself as a marketplace of free ideas and thoughts.
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

- by Arthur Blok on 11/09/2025

Rest in Peace, Charlie Kirk

Another grim day for freedom of speech advocates who dare stand up against the rhetoric […]

Zelensky’s Fatal Mistake – The Missed Opportunity of April 2022

In April 2022, a roadmap to peace lay on the table. In Istanbul, Russia and […]

China’s gains won’t topple the West - yet

China’s rise as a global power is no longer a distant prospect – it is […]
- by Ahsan Ali on 04/09/2025

The Crumbling Legacy of a diluted Free South Africa

In post-apartheid South Africa, where the African National Congress (ANC) under the late former president […]
- by The Liberum on 02/09/2025

Why the Darkest Characters Lead the Smartest Minds on the Right

Something tragic is unfolding on the intellectual right. At a time when some of the […]

The Blah Conspiracy – From Sidney Sheldon to Chuck Norris

Just watched an atrocious movie the other day, Sidney Sheldon’s Bloodline (1979). I only did […]