Bahrain's Justice Ministry will try in a military court 47 medical professionals for alleged deadly assault and refusal to help persons in need during the months of unrest in the kingdom, local media said on Wednesday.
All together, 24 doctors and 23 nurses and paramedics have been charged. The charges against them also include efforts to topple the island kingdom's Sunni monarchy and participation in illegal rallies.
The announcement is the latest move in the Sunni-led Bahrain relentless persecution of Shiite protestors after weeks of street marches demanding more freedom, equal rights, and an elected government. At least 30 people have died since the beginning of the unrest in Bahrain since mid-February.
Rights groups allege that Bahrain's rulers have targeted doctors and medical staff who aided mostly Shiite anti-government protestors during the upheaval. Doctors and nurses have many times reiterated they were under professional duty to treat everyone who needed help, and strongly deny the authorities' allegations that helping opposition protestors was akin to supporting their goals.
Witnesses say security forces in Bahrain stormed the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama beating doctors and demonstrators during the uprisings in the Gulf state. Bahraini officials denied those accounts.
MOSCOW, May 4 (RIA Novosti)
