MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain’s state news agency says the Gulf kingdom has rejected the Danish government’s request to transfer a jailed activist who is on a nearly two-month hunger strike to Denmark.

The Bahrain News Agency says in a report Sunday that the Supreme Judicial Council has declined to hand over Abdulhadi al-Khawaja to Danish custody because the law prevents transfers of "accused and convicted persons to foreign countries."

Al-Khawaja, who is a Danish citizen, and seven other opposition leaders were sentenced to life in prison in June for their role in anti-government protests.

Bahrain’s Shiite majority began an uprising nearly 14 month ago against the kingdom’s Sunni monarchy.