Bahrain court postpones trial, frees all doctors

Manama: A Bahraini court on Wednesday allowed 20 medical and paramedical staff charged with inciting for the toppling of the regime to go home pending the announcement of its verdict on September 29.

The national safety lower court said that the decision to free the doctors was made upon a request from their lawyers during the trial session.

Charges brought against the doctors and paramedical staff included forcefully occupying a public facility, possessing weapons illegally, inciting for the overthrow of the political regime, seizing medical equipment, disseminating false and malicious news and statements and inciting for the hatred of a segment of the society, Yusuf Rashed Flaifal, the military public prosecutor, said.

"The court listened to the witnesses produced by the lawyers and decided to postpone the trial to September 29," he said. "However, final pleadings should be presented before September 19. The court also decided to free the suspects on the guarantee of their home addresses," he said.

The trial of medical and paramedical staff, mainly from the Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain's largest hospital, had been shrouded in deep controversy amid contrasting versions about what happened there during four weeks of unrest in February and March.

Doctors and their supporters said that they braved huge difficulties and provided invaluable care for people injured during demonstrations and clashes.

However, the authorities said that doctors turned the hospital into a demonstrations centre and that they abused their responsibilities and used foreign media to further a political and ideological agenda.

An international commission investigating the February and March events has been looking into the medical case and is expected to shed light on the incidents in a report that it will deliver on October 30.