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MANAMA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A Bahraini court charged 10 youths on Tuesday over violent protests against a concert by a sultry Lebanese singer whose performance was deemed immoral by Islamists. Some 200 protesters threw petrol bombs during pitched battles with police, damaging cars, but failed to stop the October 22 concert by Nancy Ajram. Police arrested 16, six of whom were freed on lack of evidence. "The accusation against them was read, charging them with disturbing the peace and destroying public properties," attorney Hassan Ismael, who represented four of the 10, told Reuters. "They all denied the charges." Islamist deputies in the Gulf Arab state's parliament had demanded the concern be banned, accusing the singer of flouting Islamic values with her "provocative" performance. The 10 defendants were freed on bail. The trial continues on November 11. Pro-Western Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has often seen protests against the U.S.-led war in Iraq and Washington's perceived pro-Israeli policies. The demonstrations were mostly staged by the kingdom's Shi'ite Muslim majority which spearheaded bouts of unrest in the 1980s and 1990s against the Sunni-dominated government. The small island state, the Gulf's banking hub, has launched reforms including pardoning political prisoners.
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