Tariq Jaafar Al-Farsani (born in Manama, Bahrain, 1972) is a Bahraini bodybuilder. In April 2011 he was arrested after allegedly taking part in pro-democracy reform protests in Bahrain in February 2011. He was detained indefinitely without charge. As of July 2011 his fate is unclear.
International competitions 1998 Asian Amateur Championships — IFBB, Light-Heavyweight, Did not place 2002 Asian Amateur Championships — IFBB, Light-Heavyweight, 1st 2002 Asian Games, Light-Heavyweight, 1st 2004 Asian Amateur Championships — IFBB, Light-Heavyweight, 1st 2006 Asian Games, Heavyweight, 1st 2007 World Amateur Championships — IFBB, Light-Heavyweight, DisqualifiedTariq Jaafar Al Farsani, Muscle Memory. 2008 World Bodybuilding Championships (Manama, Bahrain) — Silver medallist, 90 kg category"Muscle men flex their pecs", Metro website, 7 November 2008, accessed 20 June 2011
2011 detention
On 16 April 2011 Tareq Al-Farsani was reported to be one of the international athletes and other sports personalities arrested by the Bahraini authorities following the pro-democracy reform protests. According to Nabeel Rajab of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Tareq Al-Farsani's family were not informed of his whereabouts and were afraid that he may have been tortured.Twitter message posted by Nabeel Rajab, President of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, 23 April 2011, accessed 18 June 2011 Al-Farsani's sister Faiza was also arrested."Bahrain arrests prominent lawyer, doctors: opposition", by Ulf Laessing and Frederik Richter, ed. Andrew Heavens, Reuters, 16 April 2011, accessed 9 July 2011
On 29 June 2011 the Bahrain News Agency reported that the Bahrain Defence Force military public prosecutor had announced that "defendants involved at medical and sport crimes" had been released, but trials would continue in accordance with Bahraini legal procedures."Announcement by the military prosecuter[sic]", Bahrain News Agency website, 29 June 2011, accessed 29 June 2011
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