BAGHDAD (AP) — The father of a teenage Iraqi football player detained in Bahrain amid anti-government protests says his son has been released after months in custody.
Abdulameer Naji told The Associated Press that his son Zulfiqar Naji, now 17, was released Saturday as a goodwill gesture from the Bahraini government to mark a key Muslim holiday.
Naji said his son, who played on the junior team for Bahraini club Al Muharraq, was seized from their home in Bahrain in April on suspicion of participating in protests against the Sunni monarchy.
Bahrain says it has released more than 300 prisoners in honor of Eid al-Adha, or the feast of sacrifice, but government officials could not immediately confirm that Zulfiqar Naji was among them.
