Report: Saudi court sentences Shiite protester

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi state-linked newspapers say a court in the capital Riyadh has sentenced a Saudi Shiite man to 15 years in prison and 70 lashes for protesting and demanding the Sunni-ruled kingdom's troops leave neighboring Bahrain.

Al-Madina's Friday report did not state the specific charge, but Shiite protesters are often given lengthy sentences for sedition.

The newspaper said the man, whose name and age were not released, has the right to appeal the verdict. He was banned from travel abroad for 10 years after his release.

Saudi Arabia sent troops to Bahrain in 2011 to help quell Shiite protests against the island nation's Sunni monarchy.

Al-Madina said the man also called for the release of Saudis detained for alleged involvement in a 1996 bombing that killed 19 U.S. Air Force airmen.