Manama, Jan 28 (IANS): Bahrain's Supreme Court on Monday upheld the life sentence of Shia opposition leader Ali Salman over charges of espionage for neighbouring Qatar.

Salman, head of the outlawed Al-Wefaq party and a central figure of the 2011 uprising in Bahrain, was convicted in November of "communicating with Qatari officials ... to overthrow constitutional order" -- a ruling rights groups called a "travesty".

Salman is currently serving a four-year jail sentence in a separate case for "inciting hatred" in the kingdom.

His two aides -- Ali al-Aswad and Hassan Sultan -- were sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia. They are former MPs and currently reside outside Bahrain, Xinhua news agency reported.

The court said Salman and his two aides "spied for a foreign state in order to overthrow the government".

The three have lost their appeals in the case, according to the court.

Qatar has repeatedly denied the accusations of conspiring against Bahrain with Salman.

The top court confirmed the verdict against Salman and his aides for "spying for a foreign state in order to ... overthrow the government", according to a statement released by public prosecutor Osama al-Awfi.