Bahrain dictatorship’s doctors’ witch trial

In Bahrain, doctors get jailed for helping injured people.

This video is called Dr Ali Al-Ekri and Dr Ghassan Dhaif reporting to Al Jazeera.

From RTË News in Ireland:

Irish-trained doctor given five-year sentence in Bahrain

Updated: 09:40, Thursday, 14 June 2012

A Bahrain appeals court has convicted nine doctors for their role in last year’s pro-democracy uprising.

Nine others have been acquitted in a case that has drawn international criticism.

The court gave Ali al-Ekri, who trained with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, a five-year sentence. He is also a former senior medic at the Salmaniya hospital in Manama.

Eight others were given sentences ranging from one month to three years.

Two medics previously sentenced to 15 years each did not appeal and they are believed to have left the country or be in hiding.

See also here.

International observers are reacting with a mix of relief and anger at the final verdict announced today in Bahrain’s highest court in the case of 20 medics accused of fomenting revolution in the Persian Gulf state. While most of the charges were dropped—the prosecution relied on confessions that the medics claim were extracted through torture—the defendants still face jail time ranging up to 5 years: here.

By targeting us doctors, Bahrain’s state shows no one is beyond its grasp. I went to Bahrain’s Pearl roundabout out of curiosity – then my nightmare began. For so many others, the nightmare continues: here.