Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
  • 26/11/2011
In a quiet suburb of Bahrain's capital Manama, a group of doctors meet to discuss a hard-hitting new report.
Many of these medics, who say they were forced to make televised confessions against each other, face prison sentences of up to 15 years for their involvement in protests earlier this year.
An independent report released on Tuesday criticized their involvement - but also called for their trials to be reviewed.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BRIEFLY DETAINED DOCTOR, DR RAJA KADHEM, TALKING ABOUT HOW HER LIFE HAS BEEN AFFECTED, SAYING:
"The case is still not resolved, we don't feel like it's over, even with the Bissiouni report, the case is still ongoing, it all depends on how much the government is going to follow the recommendations of the report. So our case remains up in the air and we just have to wait and see."
Head of Bahrain's Nursing Society Dr Rola Al Saffar also refuted report criticism that the doctors politicized their cause by letting media into the hospital.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF NURSING SOCIETY, DR ROLA AL SAFFAR, SAYING:
"These were bad days for us and we were scared for our lives and for other people's lives, we were taking care of the injured people. This is our main job, our job is not to mandate or to control others (referring to media who entered hospital) and whatever they do, we are not there to monitor people, we are there to provide care for our patients."
The doctors, among dozens of medics arrested, deny charges of stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons, spreading lies and false news and inciting hatred of Bahrain's rulers among others.
At least 30 people were killed, hundreds wounded and more than 1000 detained in the protests, quashed by Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers in March.
Sunita Rappai, Reuters

Recommended