DUBAI, Jun 22, 2011 (AFP) - A member of Bahrain's largest Shiite formation slammed the sentence Wednesday of 21 activists, eight of them to life in prison, as contradicting the Sunni regime's calls for dialogue.

"Is this the atmosphere for dialogue?" asked former MP and member of the Islamic National Accord Association (Al-Wefaq) Khalil Marzooq in excerpts of a speech he gave at a press conference in Manama posted on his Facebook page.

"When the one calling for change and reform is sentenced to life in prison, how will others take part" in dialogue, he asked.

"There are political forces, some of whom have received harsh sentences today, which have not been invited for dialogue," he added. "How will there be a dialogue without those figures?"

In that vein, Marzooq said Al-Wefaq has still not made an "official decision on whether or not it will it will take part in the dialogue."

Earlier Wednesday, a Bahraini court sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life in prison for "plotting to overthrow" the kingdom's Sunni rulers, state news agency BNA said. That came just ahead of a national dialogue proposed by the king, set to begin on July 1.

The National Safety Court of first instance also jailed 13 others for terms ranging from two to 15 years on similar charges, BNA added.

"The atmosphere for reform is not present as those who have called for reforms are dismissed from their jobs, detained and brought to justice," said Marzooq.

Scores of activists are facing trial on charges linked to the protests in a semi-martial court set up under a "state of national safety" decreed by King Hamad a day before protesters were evicted from a Manama square in mid-March.

Former Al-Wefaq MPs Matar Matar and Jawad Fayrouz, who were arrested at gunpoint in early May, are also being tried by the court for calling for regime change and spreading rumours linked to the pro-democracy protests.

Their trial began on June 12 and their next hearing was set for July 5.

Bahrain's interior ministry said 24 people, including four policemen, were killed in the unrest. The opposition said scores were arrested, amid wide claims of torture, while hundreds were dismissed from their jobs.

lyn/al

Copyright AFP 2011.