Bahrain sentences 24 to jail

DUBAI: A Bahrain court sentenced 24 citizens to prison and stripped them of their nationality after finding them guilty of forming a "terrorist group", a Bahraini judicial source said on Thursday.

Other charges included travelling to Iraq and Iran for "weapons and explosives training" and attempted murder of police officers. The High Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced 10 of the defendants to life in prison, 10 to a decade behind bars and the other four to jail terms ranging from three to five years.

The kingdom has stripped hundreds of its citizens of their nationality and jailed dozens of high-profile activists and religious clerics since protests demanding an elected government erupted in early 2011. The Bahraini government has accused Iran of backing the protests and attempting to overthrow the government. Tehran denies involvement.