Bahrain sentences 30 for up to 15 years over different charges

Bahrain has sentenced 30 people to up to 15 years in prison over different charges amid continued protests in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom for freedom and democracy.

Bahrain’s Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced one person to 10 years in jail for allegedly carrying arms and attending protests on the eastern island of Sitra.

Also on Tuesday, the court sentenced 26 people to 3-10 years behind bars, Bahrain’s al-Wasat newspaper reported. The court also imposed a 2,660-Bahraini dinar (some USD 7,000) fine on the convicts.

According to the office of Bahrain’s Prosecutor General, the 26 Bahrainis are convicted of setting police cars on fire and carrying explosives and arms in the village of Diraz.

Meanwhile, three other Bahrainis were also sentenced to 15 years in prison for planting bombs on a road in Diraz.

Anti-regime protesters have been holding demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for the Al Khalifah family to relinquish power.

The ongoing heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful demonstrations has left scores of people dead and hundreds injured, and many more incarcerated.

Courts in Bahrain have handed down long-term sentences to protesters and activists in the country.

Manama continues to arrest anti-regime forces to silence opposition voices and intimidate people in a bid to put an end to rallies and protests.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have repeatedly censured the Bahraini regime for its human rights abuses against opposition activists and anti-government protesters.