Bahrain rejects jailed opposition activists' appeal

Bahrain's highest appeal court has upheld the sentences of 13 activists for their part in anti-government protests in 2011, lawyers say.

This was their last possible chance of getting their convictions overturned, their defence lawyers said.

Some of the activists received life sentences after being convicted of plotting to overthrow the state.

Bahrain has been wracked by unrest since pro-democracy demonstrations began in February 2011.

The protesters had occupied a prominent landmark in the capital, Manama, to demand more rights and an end to discrimination against the majority Shia Muslim community by the Sunni royal family.

But they were forcibly driven out a month later by security forces after the king declared a state of emergency and brought in troops from neighbouring Sunni Gulf states to restore order and crush dissent.

Since then, at least 60 people - including several police officers - have been killed, hundreds have been injured and thousands jailed.