London, Sept 30 (ANI): The sentencing of 20 doctors for up to 15 years imprisonment in Bahrain, has been blasted by critics as an act of revenge for their medical treatment of protesters during the recent unrest in the Gulf Kingdom.
The doctors, who denied the charges, were among dozens of medical staff arrested during protests led by the island's Shi'ite majority earlier this year, demanding an end to sectarian discrimination and a greater say in government, The Telegraph reports.
The doctors were charged with stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons and occupying a hospital during the unrest, besides for forcibly occupying a hospital, spreading lies and false news, withholding treatment, inciting hatred of Bahrain's rulers and calling for their overthrow.
"We were shocked by the verdicts because we were expecting the doctors would be proved innocent of the crime of occupying the Salmaniya medical complex," defence lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi said, adding that the hearing had lasted only for about 10 minutes.
The doctors believe that the charges were imposed by the authorities to punish medical staff for treating people who took part in anti-government protests.
"Those doctors who have been found guilty were charged with abusing the hospital for political purposes. Nobody is above the law," a spokesman for the government's Information Affairs Authority (IAA) said.
Ten of the doctors, including senior physician Ali Al-Ekri, were given 15-year terms, two were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest to five. (ANI)
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