John Bacon

USA TODAY

Bahrain on Tuesday released four American journalists arrested on criminal charges during a political demonstration in the Persian Gulf nation, family members said.

Police arrested freelance journalist Anna Therese Day and her three-man camera crew Sunday at a demonstration in Sitra that marked the fifth anniversary of pro-democracy protests. Security forces in the island nation off the Saudi Arabian coast used tear gas and water cannons to break up the weekend demonstrations.

"The individuals were questioned in the presence of lawyers and charged with unlawful obstruction of vehicles and attending unlawful gatherings," prosecutor Nawaf al-Awadi said in a statement released by the state-run Bahrain News Agency. Al-Awadi said the four were released pending further investigation.

The families of the journalists issued a statement saying the four flew to Dubai late Tuesday.

"We are grateful to Bahraini authorities for their speedy resolution of the issue and to the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain and State Department officials who worked tirelessly," the statement said.

Day's family previously issued a statement denying any wrongdoing by the Americans.

"Anna and her crew are committed journalists who only want to ensure they could undertake their profession ethically and thoroughly," the family said. "The allegation that they were in any way involved in illegal behavior or anything other than journalistic activities is impossible."

Bahraini officials accused the Americans of lying on documents when they entered the country by claiming they were tourists. The international journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said that since the Arab Spring protests in February 2011, it has been difficult for foreign journalists to obtain work visas in Bahrain.

"The authorities hope to control the situation by keeping the number of unwanted witnesses of new protests to a minimum," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of the group's Middle East desk. The group tweeted it was "relieved to learn of the liberation" of the journalists.

Bahrain, made up of a series of islands in the Persian Gulf, is a strategic military partner of the United States. The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is based there.

Shiites comprise the majority of the population of about 1.3 million people, but the kingdom is ruled by Sunnis. Bahrain blames Shiite-dominated Iran for fomenting unrest in the country.

Matar Matar is a Shiite and former member of Bahrain's parliament who participated in the protests in 2011. He was arrested in May of that year and says he was tortured before his release months later.

"The U.S.-Bahrain relation is taking a new trajectory, and the U.S. administration is avoiding addressing this fact," Matar, who lives in the USA, told USA TODAY. "It is the time for the U.S. administration to revise how to deal with its opponents — and how to deal with allies — in the Middle East."