A Bahraini court has jailed Shia opposition leader Ali Salman for four years after convicting him of inciting disobedience and hatred in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.



But the court acquitted him of the more serious charge of seeking to overthrow the monarchy and change the political system.

Salman, 49, was also found guilty of “insulting an official body”, the source said, referring to the interior ministry.

Salman’s al-Wefaq movement said on Twitter: “The regime is pushing toward aggravation and issued a sentence of four years for the Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman.”

His arrest on 28 December drew condemnation from both the US and Iran, as well as human rights groups, and triggered demonstrations across the kingdom.

Bahrain, a tiny but strategic state that is home to the US navy’s fifth fleet, has been rocked by unrest since a Shia-led uprising in 2011 demanding a constitutional monarchy and more representative government. At least 89 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, while hundreds have been arrested and put on trial, rights groups say.