The bodybuilder was reportedly arrested on January 8th for breaching Qatar’s territorial waters during a fishing trip.
Qatar released Bahraini bodybuilding champion Sami Ibrahim Al Hadad and several others who were arrested for breaching Doha’s territorial waters, Manama’s ministry of interior announced on Thursday.
Bahraini citizens Mohammed Yousif Al Dossairi and fisherman Habib Abas, the latter of which was arrested in a separate incident on December 3, were also released, the ministry added.
The three Bahraini citizens were then taken to Oman before returning to their home country.
Qatar has yet to issue a statement on the incident.
Boats seized in the two incidents have yet to be released, bringing the total number of Bahraini boats that are still confiscated in Qatar to 50, Manama authorities said.
In a previous statement, Bahrain’s foreign ministry said the bodybuilding champion “was on a fishing cruise with a number of his companions in the Bahraini territorial waters”.
Commenting on the incident in an interview with Sky News Arabia, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said he hoped the arrest was an “individual case”.
“I obviously saw the news and, sometimes when a crisis ends, especially if it was complicated and deep with many hard feelings, there will be residue which I hope will be handled rapidly. We are heading towards a positive path.”
Read also: Bahraini bodybuilder arrested for breaching Qatar’s territorial waters
Also this week, Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “invited” Qatar for further negotiations over “outstanding” issues.
Manama’s foreign ministry sent an invitation to its counterpart in Doha to “send an official delegation as soon as possible” to proceed with talks that would specifically address issues that have not been settled between the two sides, Bahrain’s News Agency reported.
The ministry also said the talks would enable the two countries “to reach the goals” they “aspire to achieve for the benefit of the citizens” of both Gulf nations.
The letter, addressed to Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, stated that the discussions would enable the “implementation of what was stipulated in the Al-Ula Declaration”.
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