Bahrain has stripped five Shia Muslims of their citizenship and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The convicts are accused of spying for Iran and seeking to carry out hostile acts against the kingdom. Two of them are charged with having received training in Iran on the manufacture and use of explosives and firearms. The other three were tried in absentia. The two who appeared in court said they were forced to confess under torture. It is not the first time Manama has cracked down on Shia Muslims over alleged links to Iran. On Wednesday, Bahrain claimed it arrested dozens of people for membership in what it called a terrorist organization linked to Iran. Tensions between Bahrain and Iran escalated last month, when Manama recalled its ambassador from Tehran, accusing the Islamic Republic of interference in its affairs. Tehran has strongly rejected the allegations.