BySCEME
Bahraini Doctors Jailed for Treating Protestors
Bahrain – A group of approximately twenty medical staff from Bahrain’s Salmaniya Medical Center have been arrested for treating protestors during a wave of uprisings in the state. A collection of doctors and nurses were sentenced by a military court, which accused them of aiding protestors, stealing medical supplies, using ambulances to carry weapons and violently occupying the hospital.
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| Bahrain’s Salmaniya Medical Center |
The medical staff involved in the case have branded these accusations as “completely false” and that any punishment of them is simply unwarranted. “During the times of unrest in Bahrain, we honored our medical oath to treat the wounded and save lives. And as a result, we are being rewarded with unjust and harsh sentences, ” read a statement issued by the doctors.
One victim of these accusations is Dr. Fatima, who urged during an interview on the BBC World Service, that she had remained loyal to her medical duties by treating everyone, regardless of their political leanings. However, Bahraini officials have refused to hear her plea and she has been sentenced to 5 years in prison, forcing her to say goodbye to her 3 year-old son.
New allegations have suggested that medical staff experienced severe torture whilst in detainment. Dr. Fatima explained that she was threatened with rape on numerous occasions, whilst the psychological torture that she received was deeply distressing.
Surgeon Dr. Ghassan Dhaif and his wife Dr. Zarhra Al Sammak are two more doctors who have been sentenced to imprisonment by Bahrain’s military court. Dr. Dhaif told Sky News in an interview that the interrogations they suffered were “carried out under severe torture” and included “kicks, using sticks, using a plastic hose, using plastic bottles, using shoes” as a means of intimidation and injury. In addition to this, Dr. Zarhra, explained how the couple were blindfolded and forced to sign illegitimate confessions.
On Saturday, medical staff in Bahrain sent an appeal to the U.N in the hopes of an investigation into the brutal behavior of Bahraini authorities. A representative from the U.N Human Right’s Office, Rupert Colville, explained that there were “severe concerns” regarding the treatment of medical staff and that the issue needed to be examined further.
Bahrain’s maltreatment of doctors has ignited a wave of international criticism on social networking sites. The Journal of Medicine has said that “no one should be imprisoned for treating another human being” whilst one Twitter user named patrickcullen01 said that he is “absolutely disgusted that medics doing their jobs are facing up to 15 years” imprisonment.
We hope that the international pressure being placed on Bahrain will allow the safe and secure release of medical staff and that they may carry on their vital and invaluable work in the country.
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