Bahrain medics’ trial hears prosecution witnesses
Bahrain medics’ trial hears prosecution witnesses
By shiapost – June 20, 2011Posted in: Bahrain
DUBAI — Prosecution witnesses in the trial of 47 Bahrain doctors and nurses charged with supporting a Shiite-led protest in the kingdom appeared before a military tribunal on Monday, the state news agency BNA reported.
The 24 doctors and 23 nurses from Salmaniya hospital in Manama, not far from the capital’s Pearl Square that became the focal point of protests inspired by the Arab uprisings, are accused of “incitement to overthrow the regime by force.”
The prosecution witnesses told the court that some of the doctor defendants had handed round sachets of blood to be smeared on the injuries of some protesters before they were filmed by television crews.
Others testified that knives and two firearms were seized at the hospital, and that the facility had been used for political gatherings.
One prosecution witness alleged that medical staff discriminated in favour of Shiites when treating people injured in the protests.
The 47 accused medics were referred to a military court on May 4.
The medics have all worked at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, which was stormed by security forces after they drove protesters on March 16 out of Pearl Square.
BNA said the court set the date of the next hearing for June 30, when defence witnesses will be heard.
Authorities in the kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty have said that 24 people were killed during the unrest, most of them demonstrators. …source
