Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: The Bahraini authorities arrested on Wednesday (October 26, 2016) Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei's wife, Duaa Al-Wadaei and her infant son, while attempting to leave Bahrain for London.

Al-Wadaei said that his wife was beaten and held for 7 hours during which she was interrogated about his activism in London, where he lives as a political refugee since 2012.

The move came hours after Al-Wadaei and others protested against Bahraini King's visit to London to meet Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Photos showed that one of the protestors burst through a crowd and appeared to bang on the windows of the limousine carrying King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, protesting against the escalating suppression and persecution against Shia majority in Bahrain.

The Guardian said that what happened to Al-Wadaei is the latest example of a crackdown by the Gulf state against opposition. However, the Associated Press reported the incident under the title "Family of activist who jumped on Bahrain king's car targeted".

Duaa Al-Wadaei was prevented by Bahraini immigration officers from boarding a London-bound flight on Wednesday. Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei said that his wife was held for 7 hours and that a senior official told her she was being questioned and subjected to a travel ban because of her husband's activism.

He told AP that Police dragged his wife across the floor until she agreed to questioning.

Al-Wadaei stated that the Bahraini police questioned his wife on his appearance at the protest, his organization, and his life in London. He said his wife's interrogator threatened to charge her with assaulting a police officer.

According to the Guardian, in the hours before his wife's interrogation, several threats were apparently made against Al-Wadaei and his family on social media.

The authorities have already revoked Sayed Ahmed's citizenship over his activism as a director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy in London. He was arrested and tortured in March 2011 after the Lualua protest for appearing in several TV clips and documentaries, including "Shouting in the Dark" that was produced by the Al-Jazeera English Channel.

Arabic Version