Bahraini security forces detained Reihanna al-Mossawi and Nafissa al-Osfour earlier in April.

The protesters in Sitra chanted slogans against the Al Khalifa regime, carrying Bahrain’s national flag.

Bahrainis have held several anti-F1 rallies over the past few weeks, stressing that “as long as there are oppression, arrests and killings, there should not be a Formula One.”

On Saturday, Bahraini police announced that they had arrested more than 22 people since February for taking part in anti-regime demonstrations.

This is while the country’s main opposition group al-Wefaq, says that 14 people were detained on April 25 and 26 alone and more than 100 have been arrested in anti-regime protests ahead of the auto race.

Formula One is Bahrain’s premier international event. Bahrain pays an estimated $40 million a year to host the race. It was cancelled in 2011 as a result of mass anti-regime demonstrations, but it went ahead in 2012 despite protests.

The anti-regime uprising in Bahrain began in mid-February 2011, when the people started holding massive demonstrations against the Al Khalifa regime. The regime promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states to help quash the revolt.