…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end
Random header image... Refresh for more!

Front Line Defenders welcomes news that the 12 health professionals who have been on hunger strike in Bahrain

by Courtesy

Front Line Defenders welcomes news that the 12 health professionals who have been on hunger strike in Bahrain for almost two weeks will be released tonight.
Posted on 2011/09/07

Front Line Defenders welcomes news that the 12 health professionals who have been on hunger strike in Bahrain for almost two weeks will be released tonight. “Not before Time” says Front Line Executive Director Mary Lawlor.
Further Information

NEWS FLASH FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DUBLIN -O7- 09- 2011

Welcoming the release of the doctors Front Line Executive Director Mary Lawlor said “ Not before time – It is a travesty of justice that health professionals who had simply honoured their hippocratic oath by providing emergency medical treatment to injured demonstrators should be arrested, tortured and tried before a military court. Their release offers some hope that the Government of Bahrain may at last be willing to address the many legitimate concerns raised by human rights defenders in Bahrain”

As the hunger strike entered its second week concern had mounted that the health of several of the doctors had reached a critical stage.

Three of the 12, Dr Ali Al Ekri, Dr Ghassan Daif and Dr Basim Daif studied at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin

The doctors launched a hunger strike last week in protest at their conditions of detention and the outrageous charges against them. All three were arbitrarily detained, held in incommunicado detention, reportedly tortured, denied access to their families for 2 months and forced to confess under duress. These “confessions” were videotaped while they were blindfolded and are being used in evidence against them. Additionally, Dr Ghassan’s wife Dr Zahra Alsammak, who also studied in Dublin, was detained for 25 days and is also facing charges.

The arrests of the medics took place as part of the violent government response to the demonstrations for political reform which took place in February and March and during which health professionals who had provided medical care to injured demonstrators were arrested and charged with attempts to undermine the authority of the King and the government.

Despite this good news Front Line Defenders remains concerned that the charges against them still stand and that the trials will continue before a military court in which the defendants are denied the opportunity to present witnesses for the defence or to question witnesses for the prosecution. The organisation is continuing to press for the release of all human rights defenders currently in detention, including Front Line’s former Protection Coordinator for the Middle East Abdulhadi Al Khawaja who was sentenced to life imprisonment. Front Line is also calling for all charges to be dropped against blogger Ali Abduleman who was sentened to 15 years imprisonment in absentia. …source