Bahrain court keeps 2 Shiite minors in custody

A Bahraini juvenile court decided on Thursday to keep two minors in custody for seven more days after they were arrested last week for assaulting police and taking part in protests, their lawyers said. Yasin Abduljalil Sheber, 13, and Abdulkarim Hasan, also 13, appeared before a judge for the second time since their arrest on Friday, according to a statement by their lawyers. On Sunday, a juvenile judge ordered the detention of the two Shiites for five days, and on Thursday, they were ordered to remain behind bars for seven more days, the statement said. Both face charges of taking part in "assembly and riots," with Sheber also accused of "assaulting police and tearing military uniform," and Hasan charged with "carrying a petrol bomb." The lawyers said Sheber, who was arrested in Hamad Town during a protest, was beaten by police and that beating marks showed on his body. Hasan, who was arrested in the village of Shahrakkan, told his defence lawyer he was "beaten with batons" by police who arrested him, and that he was called during questioning a "son of Iran," which is accused of backing co-religionist Shiites in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. The judge rejected defence requests to release the two minors. Tensions are running high in Bahrain where a month-long Shiite-led uprising was crushed in March 2011. Demonstrations have intensified in recent months as protesters sporadically clash with the police. Amnesty International says 60 people have been killed since the protests first erupted in February last year.