Bahrain court upholds Iranian spy’s sentence

Prosecutors allege the man revealed info regarding the Sunni-led nation's military capabilities and 'sensitive' sites

Illustrative photo of masked Bahraini anti-government protesters carrying Molotov cocktails ahead of a march in Manama in 2012. (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain’s news agency says an appeals court has confirmed a 10-year prison sentence against a man convicted of spying for Iran. The Gulf kingdom has long accused Tehran of aiding an anti-government uprising in the Arab country.

No clear evidence has been made public about alleged Iranian roles in the more than two-year unrest but Tehran officials have often denounced crackdowns on Shiite-led protesters by Bahrain’s Sunni leaders.

The official Bahrain News Agency said Monday that prosecutors alleged the suspect passed tips to Iranian diplomats in Kuwait on Bahrain’s military capabilities and “sensitive” sites.

The suspect’s name has not been revealed. His original 10-year sentence was handed down in July 2011.

More than 60 people have died since Bahrain’s majority Shiites began Arab Spring-inspired protests seeking a greater political voice.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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