Torture of Irish-trained doctors in Bahrain

This video from Australian TV says about itself:

Bahrain doctors .. jailed for treatment

30 Sep, 2011

Doctors in the Gulf state of Bahrain have been jailed for treating pro-democracy demonstrators.

From Front Line Defenders:

2014/5/8

Torture of Irish-Trained Doctors Raised With Visiting Bahraini Delegation

The imprisonment and torture of doctors, militarisation of healthcare services and sectarian discrimination in public sector employment were among the issues raised today with visiting representatives of the Bahraini parliament.

Senator Averil Power (FF), Professor Damian McCormack, Professor Eoin O’Brien and Mary Lawlor, head of Front Line Defenders met with the Bahraini representatives in Leinster House.

Professors McCormack and O’Brien expressed their horror at the way their medical colleagues had been imprisoned by the Bahraini government simply for treating anti-government protesters in 2011. While some of the doctors have since been released, others, including Dr Ali Al Ekri, who trained in RCSI Dublin, are still in prison.

Mary Lawlor from Front Line Defenders raised the continued imprisonment of peaceful protesters in Bahrain, including , Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Nabeel Rajab and Naji Fateel. She also highlighted the fact that the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has been denied access to Bahrain amid concerns that detainees continue to be subjected to torture there.

Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson on Education Senator Averil Power expressed concern about the training and work environment for students and staff of the Bahrain campus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She referred to medics being denied jobs simply because they are Shia rather than Sunni, while those who are given employment have to work in a militarized environment.

The Irish delegation welcomed the agreement by the Bahraini representatives that medical staff should not have been imprisoned and urged them to use their influence to have the remaining doctors and human rights activists released immediately. They also welcomed an invitation to return to Bahrain and follow up on their 2011 visit.

In itself, it is positive that the delegation of the Bahraini shura council admits “that medical staff should not have been imprisoned”. However, in the Bahraini absolute monarchy that shura council is not a real parliament, but a puppet parliament boycotted by the opposition because of government absolutism. It would be real progress if the Bahraini royal government would admit “that medical staff should not have been imprisoned” and would act upon that today and in the future.

Critics claim Irish visit to Bahrain medical university will be stage-managed: here.