A Bahrain court has sentenced the main defendant for 15 years behind bars for joining the protests that turned violent in a Shiite village outside the capital city, Manama, in June 2012.

The second man also accused of participating in protests and violence and attempted murder was sentenced to 10 years. The third was jailed for five years.

Bahrain has been witnessing mass protests since February 2011, when thousands of protesters swarmed the streets of Manama demanding democratic reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa.

Home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchy, while over 75 per cent of the population is Shia.

The government has been trying to suppress the uprising by introducing stricter penalties. One of the best-known cases of human rights abuses in Bahrain is that of activist Nabeel Rajab, who has been serving a three-year term in jail since August 2012 for openly criticizing the regime.

Another case stirred protest when Bahrain court sentenced 23 medics to three months in jail after they treated protesters and took part in demonstrations.