(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Press freedom organisations are calling for the release of award-winning photojournalist Ahmed Al-Fardan, who has been held without charge in Bahrain since 26 December.
Fardan, who works for the Nurphoto, Demotex and Sipa photo agencies, was reportedly beaten when arrested at his home in the early hours.
He has been denied visits by his lawyer and family, but he has twice been allowed to phone them.
Sherif Mansour of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said: "We call on Bahraini authorities to immediately release Ahmed Al-Fardan. Despite paying lip service to the importance of the press, the government continues to try to suppress any information that does not conform to its official narrative."
And the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders issued a statement condemning Fardan's "arbitrary arrest". It demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Fardan was previously arrested in August last year. At that time he was beaten and threatened with being killed if he did not cooperate by providing photos of anti-government demonstrators.
Fardan has also campaigned for the release of his friend and fellow photographer Ahmed Humaidan, who has been held since December 2012 on a charge of attacking a police station, even though he was not there at the time.
This photo of an anti-government protester by Ahmed Al-Fardan won first place in Freedom House's annual photo contest in April 2013.
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