Protesters Sentenced To Death Over Police Killing In Bahrain

A military court in Bahrain has sentenced to death four men accused of killing two policemen during antigovernment demonstrations last month.

In its ruling on April 28, the court also sentenced three others to life imprisonment. The seven were tried behind closed doors on charges of premeditated murder. Their lawyers denied the charges.

In mid-February, antiregime protests led by the Shi'ite opposition erupted in Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled Gulf island kingdom, inspired by the uprisings in the Arab world.

At least 20 people have been killed during government crackdowns on protesters, including at least four in police custody. Authorities say at least four policemen were also killed.

Rights activists say hundreds of opposition leaders, most of them Shi'ites, have been rounded up since Bahrain declared emergency rule in mid-March.

compiled from agency reports