For Immediate Release
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today called for all charges of misdemeanors against 28 health professionals in Bahrain to be dropped. The health professionals have been charged with illegal gathering to protest against the regime. The medics’ sentences will be announced tomorrow, July 4, 2012, by the Lower Criminal Court.
After being held in prison for several months and allegedly tortured, the medics were tried in June 2011 with 20 other medical professionals.
“These medical professionals were merely fulfilling their ethical duty to treat the injured, including injured protesters. Not only should their charges be dropped, but the cases themselves should be expunged from their records,” said Richard Sollom, Deputy Director at PHR.
Although the medics were released from prison after the June 2011 trial, most were suspended from work until recently. The medics that have been reinstated found that their former positions have been given to others. PHR also calls for the 28 medical professionals to be compensated for the time they were forced to stay away from work.
“If Bahrain is committed to human rights they must also hold the perpetrators of the torture of these medics accountable,” said Sollom.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.