Fresh 'evidence' brought against Bahraini medics, retrial adjourned

Prosecutors accusing 20 medics of inciting anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain have presented a range weapons – claiming that doctors, nurses and paramedics stockpiled them in a hospital to support violent protest.

TWENTY BAHRAINI MEDICS who were arrested after treating injured protests during anti-government demonstrations last February have had their retrials adjourned until the new year.

The group of doctors, nurses and paramedics were initially tried and convicted in September of incitement to overthrow the ruling system. All received prison sentences ranging from five to 15 years by the country’s military court.

However, following intense international condemnation, a retrial was subsequently scheduled to take place in a civilian court.

The medics rejected claims they had incited or assisted the uprising – insisting that they had simply treated the injured at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in the capital, Manama. They claim confessions presented during the original trial were obtained through torture.

A report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, established in June 2011 to examine the incidents surrounding the protests and ensuing government crackdown, ruled that allegations the accused had supplied protesters with weapons were without foundation.

The medics arrived at the retrial yesterday in good spirits, expecting to see their convictions quashed, but were shocked to learn that prosecutors had brought new alleged evidence against them, reports Al Jazeera.

Prosecutors produced swords, guns, knives, chains, screwdrivers and Molotov cocktails, which they claimed were taken from the hospital and had been stockpiled there by medics wishing to fuel violent protest.

The defence objected to the alleged evidence, saying that it had not been presented at the first trial, the Guardian reports.

One of the accused, Doctor Rewla Assafar, said: “[the prosecution] brought some evidence that we have never seen ever in our lives and [that] wasn’t in the military court either.”

Another medic, Nada Dhaif, was equally incredulous: “Do they mean that we possessed those weapons?” she said to Al Jazzera reporters. “It’s crazy. This madness has to end.”

The retrial of the accused medics is due to take place on 9 January.

Key findings of the 500-page BICI report:

Security forces exercised excessive force
Security forces engaged in torture and forced confessions from detainees
Five prisoners died as a result of torture
Shiites were purged from workplaces following the protests
Shiite mosques were destroyed

The commission also found no evidence to support the government’s claim that Iran had played a role in the protests. Bahrain had accused Iran of fueling sectarian conflict in the kingdom, which is ruled by a Sunni authority although the majority of citizens are Shiite.

At least 35 people died in violence during uprising, and hundreds of people have been arrested or fired from their jobs.