MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A defense lawyer in Bahrain says an American-born man has been convicted of attacking the police during anti-government protests in the Gulf country and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The case could further strain Washington’s relations with the strategic Gulf kingdom, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. The U.S. has previously criticized measures such as Bahrain restricting political groups from meeting foreign diplomats.
Sunni-ruled Bahrain has faced more than 30 months of unrest as majority Shiites seek a greater political voice.
Lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi says Taqi al-Maidan was among four suspects sentenced Tuesday on charges that include trying to kill a policeman.
The lawyer says the 25-year-old al-Maidan, an American citizen, was born in the U.S. in 1988 to a Bahraini mother and Saudi father.