Bahraini activists convicted of trying to overthrow the state claimed Tuesday they faced abuse in custody and were forced to sign confessions, a defense lawyer said as a civilian court began a full review of their trials carried out under martial law.

The group includes rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on a hunger strike for three months and did not attend the session.

The appeals seek to overturn the sentences. But they also mark an overall challenge to the credibility of a now-disbanded military-led court created as part of crackdowns against the nearly 15-month-old uprising against Bahrain's ruling monarchy.