DEFENCE witnesses took to the stand yesterday in the appeal of seven men convicted of murdering policemen during a wave of anti-government protests last year.

Ali Abdulla Al Singees and Abdulaziz Abdulredha Hussain were earlier sentenced to death for their role in the deaths of Kashef Ahmed Mandhoor and Mohammed Farooq Abdulsamad Al Balooshi.

Five others were also jailed for life for their part in the killing of policemen, while another two suspects are still on the run.

The policemen were killed during an operation to evict protesters from the former GCC (Pearl) roundabout on March 16 last year. Both were deliberately run over by protesters and footage of Mr Al Balooshi's death, broadcast on Bahrain TV, showed his lifeless body being repeatedly run over, kicked and pounded by rocks.

Three witnesses, who testified at the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, claimed the defendants were mistreated in custody.

Another stated one of the defendants slept at his house for four days during the time he was accused of carrying out the crime. A former Interior Ministry employee earlier claimed the defendants were the wrong men on trial. The appeal was adjourned until July 15.