BCHR and CIVICUS Joint Open Letter to the King of Bahrain
BCHR and CIVICUS Joint Open Letter to the King of Bahrain
14 OCtober, 2011 – BCHR
Exceprt – The medical doctors were sentenced by the Bahrain Safety Court, a military body in grave violation of internationally acceptable principles of medical neutrality which uphold medical professionals’ unhindered and non-discriminatory approach to treating the wounded. It is not a crime for medics to treat the wounded protesters or to tell of the brutal assaults on civilians they have witnessed. Rather the prosecution and conviction of these doctors for abiding by their medical obligations only demonstrates a political intent to intimidate and instill fear so as to silence medics and all others who witness human rights violations.
Many physicians and nurses were ripped from their homes and hospitals by masked security forces and subjected to torture and degrading treatment. For instance Ms. Zahra Al-Sammak was forced to leave her child alone in the middle of the night and Dr. Ali El-Ekri was snatched from the operating room while
performing surgery at Salmaniaya Hospital on 17 March in total disregard to the risk to the life of the patient involved. By proceeding with the harsh sentencing of medical professionals apparently because of their faithful execution of their oath and ethical duty to treat and care for patients at all times, the Bahrain Government has violated its obligation to protect its citizens including the Second Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 explicitly prevents states from punishing any person carrying out medical activities compatible with medical ethics.
The military court has also upheld harsh sentences ranging up to life imprisonment against 14 prominent human rights activists and opposition leaders on 28 September 2011. Seven others who were either in hiding in Bahrain or living outside Bahrain were also sentenced in absentia in June 2011 and have had no chance to appeal the long sentences against them unless they subject themselves to arrest by presenting themselves to the military court. The recent military court action followed the activists’ announcement for an open hunger
strike from prison in Gurayn military prison on 24 September 2011 to express solidarity with the pro-democracy movement, protest the brutal crackdown on demonstrators and demand for the immediate release of women who were arrested in the protests. View full document HERE
