(Reuters) – Bahrain’s highest court upheld the prison sentences of 13 leaders of a 2011 uprising on Monday, a defence lawyer said, in a ruling that could stir further unrest in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state.

The case has drawn international criticism from rights groups and come under scrutiny from U.S. officials keen for acquittals to help restore calm in a country that it counts as a regional partner against Iran.

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