Bahrain began a civilian trial of 13 protest leaders on Tuesday (May 8, 2012) but adjourned the session because hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and another defendant were too ill to attend, lawyers and witnesses said.

Last week the Gulf Arab state's highest appeals court ordered a re-trial after a military court convicted the men last year of using violence in protests led by majority Shias in an effort to topple the monarchy.

But the court did not release the protest leaders or cancel their original convictions, despite calls from international rights groups for their unconditional release.

Police guarded the court house outside where a small group of women staged a brief protest chanting:"We know our
leaders, prison doesn't scare them," they chanted.

8 of the 13 who had expressed support for turning Bahrain into a republic are serving life sentences. One man
was released last week and seven others are abroad or in hiding.

[Reuters]