MANAMA: A defence lawyer for four US journalists charged in Bahrain says they are heading to the airport to fly out of the country.

Mohammed al-Jishi told The Associated Press that the journalists had left a police station and were on their way to the airport to fly out Tuesday night.

Al-Jishi said authorities put no travel ban on the four, despite them facing a charge after being arrested on Sunday while covering the fifth anniversary of Bahrain's 2011 uprising.

Bahrain police said it detained the four for providing "false information that they were tourists" and also alleged that one took part in an attack on Bahraini officers.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors said they had charged the journalists with illegally assembling with the intent to commit a crime.