MANAMA – A Bahraini civilian court Tuesday upheld sentences of up to life in prison against the leaders of last year's uprising. “All the accused are guilty in the case of taking part in a conspiracy to overturn the system of government, contacts with foreign bodies and violation of the constitution," news agency BNA said, referring to them as a “terrorist group". The verdicts, originally issued by a military court against 21 men, including seven in absentia, comprise eight life sentences. Thirteen remain in jail after one was released. Defense lawyers said Tuesday's ruling could be appealed. Eight of the 20 men received life sentences in a military court last year, including Al-Khawaja and opposition leader Hassan Mushaimaa. Ibrahim Sharif, leader of the opposition Waad party and the only Sunni among the 20, is serving a five-year sentence while blogger Ali Abdulemam was given a 15-year term and is in hiding. Meanwhile, the first tranche of $2.5 billion is set to flow into Bahrain as part of a GCC development package. It will help boost vital housing, roads, electricity, water, industrial and social development projects. The money - Kuwait's share of a $10bn total grant - will be sent in batches of $250 million per year. It signals the first practical step toward implementation of the GCC Development Program, ratified by the GCC leaders. A framework agreement was signed Monday at the Finance Ministry between Bahrain's government and the Kuwaiti Arab Economic Development Fund. – Agencies
