MANAMA, Bahrain – The defense lawyer of a player for Bahrain's national soccer team says his client has been sentenced along with eight others to 10 years in prison on charges of burning a police station.
Lawyer Mohamed el-Motawa says the nine were also found guilty of participating in an illegal gathering and possessing firebombs.
El-Motawa says 20-year-old Hakeem el-Oraybi was playing in a televised match when the November 2012 incident took place in which dozens of Shiite protesters attacked a police station in the capital, Manama. El-Oraybi was detained for four months after the attack.
Bahraini Shiites are demanding greater rights from the Gulf Arab nation's Sunni rulers.
El-Oraybi is currently in neighboring Qatar with the Bahraini team for a match. His lawyer said Tuesday el-Oraybi will likely be arrested upon return.
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