Sixteen men accused of terrorising and torturing Asians in Manama during the height of Bahrain's unrest have been released from custody by the National Safety Court.

They were freed yesterday after judges ruled there was insufficient evidence against them.

However, they still face charges in the civilian courts for alleged illegal gathering.

A 17th man was not released since he has also been named as a defendant in 16 other cases related to the unrest.

Shaikh Mohammed Habib Al Saffaf, also known as Al Meqdad, has already been jailed for life for his part in a plot to overthrow the regime and given another 15-year sentence for an attack on a policeman. – TradeArabia News Service