PHM-Exch> Bahrain: health workers convicted to prison sentences

[Claudio Schuftan]

Bahrain: health workers convicted to prison sentences

Thursday, 29 November 2012 21:13



On 21 November, 23 health
professionals<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_provider>in
Bahrain were sentenced to three months in
prison <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison> on charges of illegally
gathering during Arab spring
protests<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring>in 2011. Five others
were acquitted.

Richard Sollom, deputy director of Physicians for Human
Rights<http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/>said: “We are
disappointed, though not surprised, that the
Bahraini<http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=26.0275,50.55&spn=10.0,10.0&q=26.0275,50.55%20%28Bahrain%29&t=h>regime
once again has decided to punish health professionals merely for
expressing their right to peaceful assembly. Instead of punishing these
dedicated professionals, the Government of Bahrain should focus on
prosecuting the people responsible for torturing many of those who were
arrested and detained.”

The 23 people convicted <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conviction> today
include 12 physicians, as well as nurses and other health professionals.
All are expected to appeal their convictions. Four other health
professionals whose appeals were denied in October are already serving
sentences ranging from one to five years.

Last year, a Commission of
Inquiry<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Commission>established by
the King of Bahrain to investigate charges of human
rights abuses <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights>, recommended that
the government review and commute the sentences of all persons charged with
offenses involving peaceful political expression and to drop any
outstanding charges against them. However, the court did not follow this
advice.

“None of these health professionals belongs in prison,” said Sollom. “Once
again, we call on the regime to reverse the convictions of all health
professionals, to expunge those convictions from their records, to restore
them to their jobs, and to compensate them for the time they lost in having
to challenge these spurious charges.”

Source: Physicians for Human Rights
website<http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/press/press-releases/phr-dismayed-at-convictions-of-bahraini-medics-in-criminal-court.html>
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