Updated

A defense lawyer in Bahrain says a court has prolonged the appeal of a jailed human rights activist by ordering another hearing later this month.

Nabeel Rajab is challenging his three-year sentence for allegedly encouraging illegal protests and violence in the strife-wracked Gulf nation.

Attorney Mohammed al-Jishi says the court on Monday set Rajab's next hearing for Sept. 27. The decision could touch off protests from Rajab's supporters who have vowed to lead marches into Bahrain's capital Manama.

Rajab is among the most high-profile prisoners in Bahrain's crackdowns. The country has been hit by near daily unrest since February 2011 when its Shiite majority began an uprising demanding a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled country, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.