(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A group of British journalists from Channel Four News have been deported from Bahrain after they were arrested by regime forces while covering protests surrounding the controversial Formula One Grand Prix.
Foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller, cameraman Joe Sheffer and producer Dave Fuller were detained on Sunday along with their driver Ali and human rights activist Dr Ala'a Shehabi.
It was then revealed that the journalists had been denied media accreditation to report on protests against the motor race, but that they entered the Persian Gulf kingdom as tourists.
The three were released after six hours and boarded a non-British plane and deported to the UK. However, the driver and the Anglo-Bahraini human rights activist were released hours later.
The regime of al-Khalifa only granted permission to the journalists who regularly cover the F1 events, and refused to give permission to reporters from several news networks to avoid the media coverage of pro-democracy protests.
Miller stressed that the arrest would expose the Bahraini regime to further international pressure over its constant attempts to suppress anti-regime protests by peaceful demonstrators in the country.
He said while they were filming an anti-regime protest in a village they realized that they were followed by a riot police car and a helicopter. “We were cut off by the police, held for about an hour inside our vehicle by scores of riot police, many of them wearing balaclavas, being quite rough, quite abusive. My driver was injured."
Last week Bahrain faced massive protests against the F1 auto race held at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, located about 30 kilometers southwest of Manama.
The auto race was held in Bahrain despite demonstrations demanding the cancelation of the controversial sporting event.
Bahraini activists say the Manama regime is using the auto race to cover up human rights violations in the country.
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Foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller, cameraman Joe Sheffer and producer Dave Fuller were detained on Sunday along with their driver Ali and human rights activist Dr Ala'a Shehabi.
It was then revealed that the journalists had been denied media accreditation to report on protests against the motor race, but that they entered the Persian Gulf kingdom as tourists.
The three were released after six hours and boarded a non-British plane and deported to the UK. However, the driver and the Anglo-Bahraini human rights activist were released hours later.
The regime of al-Khalifa only granted permission to the journalists who regularly cover the F1 events, and refused to give permission to reporters from several news networks to avoid the media coverage of pro-democracy protests.
Miller stressed that the arrest would expose the Bahraini regime to further international pressure over its constant attempts to suppress anti-regime protests by peaceful demonstrators in the country.
He said while they were filming an anti-regime protest in a village they realized that they were followed by a riot police car and a helicopter. “We were cut off by the police, held for about an hour inside our vehicle by scores of riot police, many of them wearing balaclavas, being quite rough, quite abusive. My driver was injured."
Last week Bahrain faced massive protests against the F1 auto race held at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, located about 30 kilometers southwest of Manama.
The auto race was held in Bahrain despite demonstrations demanding the cancelation of the controversial sporting event.
Bahraini activists say the Manama regime is using the auto race to cover up human rights violations in the country.
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