When Naji Fateel was arrested in the aftermath of Bahrain’s Arab Spring uprising, his youngest son, Nidal, was a toddler.
Last month, when Mr. Fateel left prison — riding a bus filled with inmates freed by a surprise royal pardon — the Nidal who greeted him was a teenager.
Mr. Fateel, 49, a human rights activist, embraced his son and emerged, dazed, into a life forever changed.
“It was an indescribable moment,” he said, “the first hug after freedom.”After more than a decade in jail, Mr. Fateel was released in a mass pardon in April that included more than 1,500 prisoners — the largest pardon since the reign of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain began in 1999.
Persons:
Naji Fateel, Nidal, Fateel, —, ”, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Locations:
Bahrain