Obama urges Bahrain to respect people's rights

US President Barack Obama Saturday urged Bahrain to carry out reforms and respect the "aspirations of all Bahrainis", dpa reported.

In a telephone call with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Obama said the Gulf country's "stability depends upon respect for the universal rights of the people of Bahrain," a White House statement said.

The harsh crackdown on reform demonstrators has put the US in a sensitive situation due to its close strategic partnership with Bahrain.

On Thursday, a Bahrain military court sentenced four protesters to death and three to life in prison for the killing of two policemen, in a trial which drew condemnation from human rights groups.

Several rights groups condemned the trial as unjust, saying the defendants were allowed only limited access to legal counsel and trial proceedings. The trial was held in camera. The European Parliament has strongly condemned the ruling.

Protests demanding political reform and greater freedoms in Sunni-ruled, Shiite majority Bahrain began on February 14. Bahrain and other Sunni-ruled countries in the region have accused Shiite-led Iran of meddling in the country's internal affairs.

Violence escalated in March, when Gulf troops were deployed to the small island kingdom and a state of emergency was declared to help quell the unrest.

The state of emergency bans all public gatherings and allows for arbitrary arrests and the trial of civilians in military courts.