Manama: Bahrain's Court of Cassation on Monday said that it would announce on April 23 its verdict in the case of 21 defendants held on charges of attempting to topple the state regime.

The defendants, 14 in custody and seven out of Bahrain, were initially charged with establishing and managing terror groups to change the state royal regime by force and to change the constitution, communicating intelligence with an overseas terrorist organisation to commit hostile acts against Bahrain as well as a number of other charges.

The National Safety Court of First Instance in June sentenced to life in prison Abdul Wahab Hussain Ali Ahmad, Hassan Ali Mushaima, Abdul Hadi Abdullah Al Khawaja, Abdul Jalil Abdullah Al Singace, Mohammad Habib Al Saffaf (Al Miqdad), Saeed Mirza Ahmad, Abdul Jalil Radhi Makki and the London-based Saeed Abdulnabi Al Shehabi who was tried in absentia.

The court also sentenced ten defendants to 15 years in prison. Two defendants were sentenced to serve five years in jail, while one defendant was sentenced to two years in jail.

The National Safety Court of Appeal in September confirmed the convictions and upheld the sentences.