Bahrain Court Sentences Eight For Ties With Iran

A Bahrain court has sentenced eight people to prison terms of up to 15 years on charges of plotting with suspected Iranian agents to topple the kingdom's ruling system.

Defense lawyer Mohsin al-Alawi says six received 15-year sentences.

He said three were sentenced in absentia, including the son of jailed activist Hassan Mushaima, who is appealing a life sentence imposed in 2011 for links to opposition protests in Manama.

Bahraini prosecutors repeatedly claim that Iran encourages and assists Bahrain's opposition.

Bahrain and its Gulf allies, led by Saudi Arabia, have issued strongly worded statements demanding Iran stop "meddling" in their affairs.

Bahrain also plans to remove its broadcasts from Arabsat, a regional television service, on June 1 to protest what it calls a "hostile media campaign" by Iranian television.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Bahrain News Agency