The United States said on Thursday that it was "deeply disappointed" by a court decision in Bahrain that upheld sentences for some medics involved in protests against the US-allied Sunni regime last year.

Bahrain's appeals court acquitted nine medics arrested at a hospital near the protests and reduced the terms of nine others. But State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that charges on all should be dropped.

"We are deeply disappointed," Nuland told reporters.

"We believe these convictions do appear, at least in part, to be based on the defendants' criticisms of government actions and policies."

"While the sentences were reduced, we are discouraged that the Bahraini government did not use alternative means to address these cases," Nuland said.

Nuland called for Bahrain to carry out an "expedited review" and to allow the nine convicted medics to stay at home during the appeal.

"We hope that the review will result in a dismissal of the charges," Nuland said. 

[Source: AFP]