Shiite protesters in Bahrain are blocking roads and staging rallies before a mass trial of 21 activists accused of plotting against the state.
The official Bahrain News Agency says a special security court is expected to issue verdicts on Wednesday for the suspects, 14 of whom are in custody and the others charged in absentia. Authorities claim they sought to overthrow Bahrain’s Sunni dynasty and have links to “a terrorist organization abroad.”
That’s an apparent reference to Bahrain’s claims that Iranian-backed Hezbollah had a role in Shiite-led protests for greater rights that began in February.
Witnesses say Shiite demonstrators made roadblocks with sand and debris, and called for marches to oppose the trial. No violence was reported.
