Updated

Bahrain's Interior Ministry says police have released human rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja, who was detained last month after landing in the Gulf Arab country on a visit to see her jailed father.

Al-Khawaja faces charges of assaulting police after she refused to hand over her mobile phone during questioning at the airport. She denies the charge. The ministry's brief statement Thursday says al-Khawaja is banned from traveling abroad.

Al-Khawaja has dual Danish and Bahraini citizenship. Her father is prominent rights activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, who is on hunger strike to protest a life sentence he is serving in connection to his role in 2011 anti-government protests.

The tiny island nation has faced more than three years of unrest spearheaded by the country's Shiite majority demanding greater rights.