Bahrain Mirror: Four American journalists were arrested by Bahraini authorities on Sunday (February 14, 2016), according to Bahrain Mirror sources.

One of the journalists was apprehended in the island of Sitra, south of the Bahraini capital, Manama, where violent clashes erupted between police and demonstrators commemorating the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising.

Three others were arrested at a checkpoint at one of Sitra's exists. The four are reporters and include an independent journalist named Anna Therese Day. The other three are members of her camera crew, according to a statement issued by Day's family. All four of the journalists were taken to Al-Nabih Saleh police station.

The group had been in the country reporting on the fifth anniversary of a popular uprising there that was put down by security authorities. Sitra was one of the areas in the country that witnessed heavy crackdown by regime forces that were backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter.

The Bahraini Interior Ministry announced on Monday (February 15, 2016) in a statement that it arrested an American journalist during "his participation in riots in Sitra."

The head of the Capital General Police Directorate had stated that four US nationals, including a female, were taken into custody while one of them was "wearing a mask and participating in attacks on police alongside rioters in Sitra," adding that "the other three were arrested at a checkpoint in the same area."

"The four entered Bahrain between 11 and 12 February and provided false information to concerned authorities, claiming to be tourists," he further stated, noting that "some of those arrested had carried out journalistic activities without permission from concerned authorities, in addition to carrying out illegal acts".

The head of the general police directorate also said that all the necessary legal measures have been taken in this regard, and the case has been referred to the Public Prosecution.

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