Bahrain opens trial against alleged militants

A defence lawyer in Bahrain says state prosecutors have opened their cases against 50 suspected members of a shadowy anti-government faction accused of trying to topple the Gulf kingdom's Western-backed rulers.

The group, known as the February 14 movement after the opening the Shiite-led uprising in 2011, is the most militant network active in Bahrain's near nonstop unrest. Its leadership is unknown and is believed to be a loose alliance linked by social media.

Lawyer Manar Maki says only nine suspects attended the first court session today. Among them was a 38-year-old woman who claimed she was stripped and tortured in custody. The trial resumes July 25.
 

Bahrain's Shiite majority has pressed for a greater political voice in the strategic Sunni-ruled island, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.