A Bahraini court has recently handed over 15-year jail terms to each of the 57 nationals on charges of rebellion and sedition, according to Arabic-language Al Mayadeen TV.

The sentences come amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Bahrain with rights groups repeatedly criticizing the regime for handing down long-term sentences to anti-regime protesters and activists in the country.

Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.