Bahraini activist sentenced to prison

Nabeel Rajab is president of the Bahrain Center for Human RightsIllegal protests "led to severe acts of violence," the Bahraini government saysRajab can appeal his sentence, the government saysThe U.S. Navy anchors its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain

(CNN) -- A Bahrain court sentenced prominent activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison "for participating in illegal rallies and gatherings," a government spokesman said Thursday.

Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was one of hundreds of Bahrainis to be detained by security forces in recent months, according to human rights activists.

"Rajab's participation in these marches and provocation of his supporters have led to severe acts of violence; including fueled rioting, road blocking, arson, acts of sabotage targeting public and private properties, the use of petrol bombs and IEDs, amongst others," said a statement from the president's office of the Kingdom of Bahrain. "The Ministry of Interior announced such acts have caused injuries to over 700 security force members."

Rajab can appeal his sentence to a higher court, the statement said.

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On March 20, about 25 people in about a dozen cars pulled up to Rajab's house and took him to the offices of the Interior Ministry's investigative department. There, according to Rajab, he was beaten, blindfolded and interrogated about an armed suspect they believed he knew.

Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy anchors its Fifth Fleet, is a small, predominantly Shiite country governed by a Sunni royal family.

CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.

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