Bahrain medics jailed after losing appeal

Police in Bahrain have arrested five medics in a series of dawn raids on Tuesday morning, just one day after the country's highest court dismissed their appeals in a case international human rights groups have rejected as a farce.

The first doctor, Ali al-Ekry, was arrested at his home at around 5:30am local time (02:30 GMT), according to his family. Al-Ekry is facing the harshest jail term: He was sentenced to five years in prison for "possession and concealment" of weapons and "illegal assembly".

The other medics were arrested one-by-one in subsequent raids, according to sources in Bahrain.

The doctors are part of a group of 20 arrested last year and convicted by a military court; those convictions were upheld by a civilian tribunal in June, despite widespread criticism of the trial from international human rights groups.

On Monday, the court of cassation rejected their appeals and confirmed the prison sentences, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency.

Dr Al-Ekry spoke to Al Jazeera about the court's decision on Monday

The arrests came as a surprise to the doctors and their families.

All nine medics had been free on bail since last September, though they faced a travel ban. Lawyers were not sure whether the government would actually enforce the sentences, because of the international pressure surrounding the case.

"It is natural to assume that once the highest court in the land issues a verdict, that verdict is enforceable," said Fahad Al Binali, a government spokesman.

Even al-Ekry was not sure if he would be jailed. "It's always been vague in dealing with the medics issue," al-Ekry said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, the day before his arrest. "[This case] has received wide international attention, and that's what is making my government reluctant to implement the verdict," he said.

Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the arrests. “Today's imprisonment once again marks the lack of any real commitment from Bahrain's government to be held accountable and deliver true justice for victims of human rights violations,” said Ann Harrison, the group's Middle East and North Africa deputy programme director.

'Ridiculous charges'

Nine other doctors and nurses had their verdicts dismissed in June by the appeals court, including Rula al-Saffar, the head of Bahrain's nursing society. She had originally been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The court also dismissed some of the most serious charges against the doctors, including allegations that they "occupied" the hospital and possessed weapons.

"I think the regime needs to justify the military takeover of the hospital, and needs to scapegoat doctors, hence the ridiculous charges that they persist in accusing them of," said Dr. Ala'a Shehabi, a Bahraini academic and activist.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, the official panel which studied last year's unrest, rejected many of the  government's claims, like the charge that the medics gave weapons to protesters. The commission also found that the medics were tortured while in custody.

"At the court there was no evidence brought," said Fareeda al-Dallal, al-Ekry's wife, in an interview with Al Jazeera. "Not a single video or leaflet saying the doctors were trying to throw out the regime... this case was purely political."

Rights groups have argued that all of the convictions should be dismissed. The United Nations criticised the prison sentences as "harsh".

Separately, Mohamed al-Mushaimaa, 22, died in a Bahraini prison overnight, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Mushaimaa was jailed last year for taking part in protests at the Financial Harbour in Manama, though he denies ever attending.

Mushaimaa suffered from sickle cell anemia, and complained repeatedly that he was not receiving proper medical treatment in prison, his lawyer, Mohsen al-Alawi, said.

Bahrain activists recount abuse claims in retrial

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- A Bahraini defense lawyer says jailed activists challenging verdicts issued against them by a military-led tribunal recounted in court that they had been subjected to torture and beatings after their arrest.

Lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi says several of the defendants claimed Tuesday they faced abuse by police and others as part of a crackdown by Bahrain's Sunni leaders against a Shiite-led uprising calling for greater political rights.

The civilian court retrial for the 21-member group includes eight activists sentenced to life in prison for anti-state crimes.

Among them is Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who ended a more than 100-day hunger strike last week. Seven defendants were convicted in absentia.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A Bahraini defense lawyer says jailed activists challenging verdicts issued against them by a military-led tribunal recounted in court that they had been subjected to torture and beatings after their arrest.

Lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi says several of the defendants claimed Tuesday they faced abuse by police and others as part of a crackdown by Bahrain's Sunni leaders against a Shiite-led uprising calling for greater political rights.

The civilian court retrial for the 21-member group includes eight activists sentenced to life in prison for anti-state crimes.

Among them is Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who ended a more than 100-day hunger strike last week. Seven defendants were convicted in absentia.

Bahrain court sentences 8 in coup plot trial

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- A defense lawyer in Bahrain says a court has sentenced eight people to prison terms of up to 15 years after they were accused of plotting with suspected Iranian agents to topple the Gulf kingdom's ruling system.

The convictions Sunday reflect claims by Gulf Arab states that Iran has links to the Shiite-led uprising against Bahrain's Sunni dynasty. Iranian leaders deny any active aid to the protests that began 15 months ago.

Lawyer Mohsin al-Alawi says the court sentenced six people to 15 years in person. Three of those were sentenced in absentia, including the son of jailed activist Hassan Mushaima.

Al-Alawi says two others received lesser sentences Sunday and were freed because they had already spent six months in detention.

Bahrain opens review of activist convictions

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Bahraini activists convicted of trying to overthrow the state claimed Tuesday they faced abuse in custody and were forced to sign confessions, a defense lawyer said as a civilian court began a full review of their trials carried out under martial law.

The group includes rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on a hunger strike for three months and did not attend the session.

The appeals seek to overturn the sentences. But they also mark an overall challenge to the credibility of a now-disbanded military-led court created as part of crackdowns against the nearly 15-month-old uprising against Bahrain's ruling monarchy.

A court last month ordered a full re-examination - effectively a retrial - of the cases against al-Khawaja and 20 other mostly Shiite activists found guilty last year of plots to overthrow the kingdom's Western-allied Sunni dynasty. Al-Khawaja and seven others were sentenced to life in prison and the others received lesser prison terms. Seven were sentenced in absentia.

Eleven of the defendants appeared for the opening session in civil court - watching proceedings from a glass-paneled holding pen - while they restated allegations of torture and other abuses while in custody, said defense lawyer Hasan Radhi. They also claimed they signed forced confessions and other documents after their arrests.

The next hearing in the review was set for May 22. The appeals themselves are also a blow to the military-led tribunals, which were set up during the now-lifted martial law that was put in place last year at the height of the crackdowns.

Bahrain's majority Shiites claim they face widespread discrimination at the hands of the Sunni monarchy. At least 50 people have died in unrest since February 2011 on this strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Hundreds also have been arrested or purged from jobs as part of pressure on the opposition, which says it seeks a greater voice in Bahrain's affairs.

Bahrain's monarchy has made concessions, but not enough to satisfy demands of protesters calling for the ruling dynasty to give up its control of government. Clashes take place nearly every day - with al-Khawaja, 51, emerging recently as a powerful rallying point for demonstrators since he began his hunger strike Feb. 8.

Al-Khawaja's family describe his condition as weak, but he has received medical care. His wife has claimed the feeding tubes and other measures were carried out against al-Khawaja's will, but authorities say it was voluntary.

In recent days, protest crowds also have gathered to demand the release of the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested Saturday.

In March, Bahrain rejected Denmark's request to take custody of al-Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen.

A similar retrial process is under way in a civilian court for 20 medical professionals convicted by the military-led tribunal of anti-state crimes and sentenced to five to 15 years in prison. The next hearing in their case is scheduled for Thursday.

Bahrain court delays case in hunger striker appeal

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- A Bahrain court heard appeals Monday from defense lawyers for a jailed hunger striker and other activists seeking to overturn their sentences linked to the Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni monarchy in the Gulf kingdom.

The court set the next hearing for April 30 amid claims by the family of hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja that his health is in sharp decline nearly 11 weeks into his protest. Bahrain officials insist al-Khawaja faces no immediate medical risks.

Al-Khawaja's case has become a centerpiece of anti-government protests while adding international pressure on Bahrain's rulers. Earlier this month, Bahrain rejected Denmark's request to take custody of al-Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen.

"We consider the situation to be very, very serious," Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal said in a Danish television interview. "We think we're talking about days during which action must be taken if anything has to be achieved in this case."

Al-Khawaja and seven other Shiite activists were sentenced to life in prison last year. The convictions were part of Bahrain's crackdowns during the more than 14-month-old uprising by the country's Shiite majority, which seeks to reduce the wide-ranging powers of the ruling Sunni dynasty.

Thirteen other political figures were sentenced - some in absentia - to lesser prison terms and also are part of the appeal.

Neither al-Khawaja nor any of the other defendants were present at the hearing, which was held under tight security.

Rights organizations criticized the Bahrain court's decision Monday to postpone al-Khawaja's appeal despite international calls for speeding up the judicial process. A statement from the Ireland-based Front Line Defenders said al-Khawaja was again "denied justice."

At least 50 people have been killed in Bahrain's unrest since February 2011 in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Opposition groups claim the most recent fatality came during weekend clashes ahead of Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix, which was canceled last year because of concerns over security. Bahraini authorities promised an investigation into the man's death.

Al-Khawaja, 52, is the Front Line Defenders' former Middle East and North Africa director. He has also documented human rights abuses in Bahrain for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Al-Khawaja is married and has four daughters. He had lived in exile for decades. He returned to Bahrain after the government announced a general amnesty in 2001.

Bahrain opens probe into death in protest area

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Bahraini opposition groups claimed Saturday that a man was killed during clashes with security forces, threatening to sharply escalate the Gulf nation's unrest as officials struggle under the world spotlight as hosts of the Formula One Grand Prix. Authorities opened an investigation in a bid to defuse tensions.

At least 50 people have died in the unrest since February 2011 in the longest-running street battles of the Arab Spring. Bahrain's Shiite majority seeks to break the near monopoly on power by the ruling Sunni dynasty, which has close ties to the West.

Persistent protests have left the country's rulers struggling to keep attention on the buildup to Sunday's Formula One race - Bahrain's premier international event. It was called off last year amid security fears and Bahrain's leaders lobbied hard to hold this year's event in efforts to portray stability and mend the country's international image.

A statement by Bahrain's Interior Ministry said a probe was under way, but gave no other immediate details. The death, however, was likely to intensify a wave of expected protests to coincide with the F1.

The body was found in an area west of the capital Manama, where clashes broke out after a massive protest march Friday. Opposition factions said riot police and demonstrators were engaged in running skirmishes around the village of Shakhura, about five miles (eight kilometers) west of the capital Manama and known for its burial mounds dating back more than 5,000 years.

The area is 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Grand Prix circuit, which is surrounded by desert and under round-the-clock security watch.

Social media sites have urged more demonstrations as part of the opposition's effort to use the world attention from the race to press their demands for a greater political voice.

Sporadic clashes broke out Saturday in Shiite villages west of Manama, where plumes of black smoke rose from tire blockades set ablaze by protesters. On the main highway from Manama - used by many F1 teams and fans - work crews tore down protest banners with images of people killed during the uprising.

"We demand democracy," and, "Down, Down Hamad," chanted some of the tens of thousands of opposition supporters Friday in reference to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as they massed on the main highway leading out of Manama. Bahrain's monarchy is the main backer of the F1 race, and the crown prince owns the rights to the event.

Hours before the march, Bahrain's most senior Shiite cleric, Sheik Isa Qassim, delivered a strongly worded sermon that denounced authorities for making dozens of arrests of suspected dissidents in recent weeks. He called the intensified crackdowns before the F1 event were "as if we are entering a war" in the strategic kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of just over half a million people, but claim they face widespread discrimination and lack opportunities granted to the Sunni minority. The country's leaders have offered some reforms, but the opposition says they fall short of Shiite demands for a greater voice in the country's affairs and an elected government.

The unrest has put Washington into an awkward position. U.S. officials have called for efforts to reopen political dialogue in Bahrain, but are careful not to press too hard against the nation's leadership and possibly jeopardize its important military ties.

In Washington on Friday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed the Obama administration's concern about "the increase in violence in Bahrain, especially leading up to the Formula 1 race."

"These are unproductive, unhelpful acts in building the kind of meaningful trust and reconciliation that is needed in Bahrain," Nuland told reporters. "We're calling for, again, Bahraini government respect for universal human rights and demonstrators' restraint in ensuring that they are peaceful."

Clashes take place nearly every day in Bahrain with demonstrators hurling firebombs and riot police responding with tear gas and sometimes firing birdshot. The main Shiite political group, Al Wefaq, says at least 50 people have been injured in the past two days when security forces fired pellets to disperse protesters.

The rulers have depicted the race - expected to draw a worldwide TV audience of about 100 million in 187 countries - as an event that will put the divided society on the path of reconciliation.

A tweet by Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, described the march Friday as "examples of freedom of speech and assembly."

"Life goes on," he added.

Bahrainis rally against Formula One race

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters marched through a village outside the Bahraini capital on Wednesday, the latest in a week of demonstrations ahead of this weekend's hotly disputed Formula One grand prix.

The rally in Tubli was organised by Al Wefaq, the largest Shia opposition party. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the race and against the government, according to witnesses.

About one hundred people gathered in central Manama for a separate march organised by human rights activist Nabeel Rajab. Riot police used sound bombs to disperse the group after about an hour.

Their response was unusually restrained, according to witnesses; similar rallies in the past were broken up within minutes with volleys of tear gas.

Activists have vowed to hold daily protests in the run-up to race weekend, which begins with a practice on Friday morning.

More arrests

The government has responded by arresting more than 80 activists, according to local rights groups, which describe a state of "undeclared martial law".

The protests came hours after the crown prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, made a rare visit to Sanabis, a village which has emerged as a major stronghold for the opposition, to attend the funeral of a business executive.

He was confronted as he left by a small group of peaceful protesters, some of whom chanted "the people demand the downfall of the regime".

IN VIDEO

Al Jazeera reports on the contrasting views towards the race

Several held a poster showing the faces of people killed by security forces. A video of the incident was posted on YouTube.

It was a very public rebuke of the crown prince, the main backer of the Formula One grand prix, just days before the race.

The opposition has generally been more muted in its criticism of Salman, still widely viewed as a rare reformist ally within the royal family.

The Formula One race is big business in Bahrain: The most recent grand prix, in 2010, drew 100,000 visitors and generated a half-billion dollars in revenue.

Last year's race was cancelled because of widespread unrest; the government is keen to present this year's race as a sign that Bahrain is returning to normal. Billboards and posters across the country bear slogans like, "UNIF1ED: One country, one celebration."

But near-daily violence continues in much of the country.

Critical report

A damning report issued in November by an official commission accused the government of widespread human rights abuses, and - despite a few token efforts at reform - opposition activists say torture, warrantless arrests and theindiscriminate use of tear gas are still common.

A report issued on Tuesday by Amnesty International, the London-based rights organisation, criticised the government's reforms as inadequate.

The opposition has campaigned to have the Formula One race cancelled. Activists have painted their own slogans on walls and buildings across the island. "Boycott F1," says one; another urges drivers to "stop racing on our blood."

Some Formula One teams have expressed concern about the security situation in Bahrain.

But Bernie Ecclestone, the owner of the commercial rights to Formula One, said last week that the race should go ahead. He described the country as "quiet and peaceful," and denied that anyone had been shot during the unrest in Bahrain, according to the AFP news agency.

In fact, a protester was shot as recently as last week, when 15-year-old Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Aziz was shot in the chest by police - at a funeral for another activist killed by unknown gunmen.

Bahrain court sentences protester to death

Bahrain's special security court on Thursday sentenced a protester to death for killing a policeman, and gave doctors and nurses who had treated injured protesters during the country's uprising earlier this year lengthy prison sentences, a lawyer said.

Attorney Mohsen al-Alawi said the tribunal, set up during Bahrain's emergency rule, convicted and sentenced 13 medical professionals each to 15 years in prison. In addition, two doctors were sentenced to 10 years each while five other medics convicted on Thursday got shorter prison terms of 5 years each.

Thursday's harsh sentences suggest the Sunni authorities in the Gulf kingdom will not relent in pursing and punishing those they accuse of supporting the Shiite-led opposition and participating in dissent that has roiled the tiny island nation.

Earlier this year, the same special court sentenced two other protesters to death for killing a police officer in a separate incident.

Al-Alawi, the lawyer, said the 20 medical professionals, who were charged with various anti-state crimes, and the protester who got the death sentence on Thursday can all appeal their verdicts.

A Bahraini rights group identified the protester sentenced to death as Ali Yousef Abdulwahab. The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights said in a statement that another suspect, Ali Attia Mahdi, was convicted on Thursday as Abdulwahab's accomplice and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since March when Bahrain's rulers imposed martial law to deal with protests by the country's Shiite majority demanding greater rights and freedoms.

More than 30 people have been killed since the protests began in February, inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere. The Sunni monarchy that rules this strategically important Gulf nation, which is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, responded with a violent crackdown.

Thursday's sentences came a day after the tribunal upheld sentences for 21 activists convicted for their roles in the protests, including eight prominent political figures who were given life terms on charges of trying to overthrow the kingdom's Sunni rulers.

The court's decision reflected the authorities' unwillingness to roll back punishments for those considered central to the anti-government uprising, although officials have taken some steps to ease tensions. They include releasing some detainees and reinstating state workers purged for suspected support of the seven-month-old protest movement.

The doctors' trial has been closely watched by rights groups, which have criticized Bahrain's use of the security court, which has military prosecutors and both civilian and military judges, in prosecuting civilians.

Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000 people, but claim they face deep-rooted discrimination such as being blocked from key government and security posts.

The Sunni dynasty, which has ruled the island for more than 200 years, has retained crucial support from the West and Gulf Arab neighbors through the months of protests and crackdowns.

Bahrain's rulers imposed martial law in March and invited a Saudi-led Gulf force to help them deal with the unprecedented dissent. Sunni rulers of Bahrain's neighbors like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates fear that any concessions to the Shiite protesters in Bahrain could widen the influence of Shiite powerhouse Iran.

Bahrain medics freed on bail

A special Bahraini court has released on bail 20 Shia Muslim medics being tried for their role in a month-long pro-democracy protest, including many who had gone on hunger strike, according to the state news agency, BNA.
The national safety court said late on Wednesday that the verdict for medics would be issued on September 29.
The court was set up under a three-month quasi-emergency law declared by King Hamad ahead of the mid-March crackdown on the protest led by the Shia majority in the Gulf island state.
More than 100 detainees are on hunger strike, 17 of whom were hospitalised by the interior ministry after their health deteriorated, according to the Bahrain Commission of Inquiry.
Bahraini authorities had charged 24 doctors and 23 nurses - including several women, who had worked at Manama's central Salmaniya hospital, of incitement to overthrow the regime.
In addition, they were accused of "incitement to hatred of a regime, incitement to hatred of a segment of society, dissemination of false news and malicious rumours that could harm public interest and participation in unauthorised rallies and meetings."
They were rounded up in the wake of the heavy-handed security clampdown which forcefully drove protesters out of Manama's central Pearl Square that became the focal point of anti-government protests for a month, before being razed.
Many claim to have been tortured in custody.
Reforms promised
The national safety court has a mixed military and civil panel. But King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa last month promised that all Bahrainis on trials related to protests will see their verdicts issued by a civil court.
Authorities said in May that 405 detainees have been referred to courts, while 312 were released.
Bahrain's interior ministry says 24 people, including four policemen, were killed in the month-long protests that erupted in mid-February.

Security forces backed by troops from Bahrain's Gulf neighbours crushed the protest movement.

The opposition says that scores of people were arrested, and many of them tortured. Hundreds more were dismissed from their jobs.

Four people have been sentenced to death and three to life imprisonment after being convicted of the killing of two policemen during the protests.

Nine others were jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of abducting a policeman.

Bahrain frees two former opposition MPs

Bahrain has freed two former parliamentarians from the Shia opposition and several other detained activists who were arrested in anti-government protests earlier this year.

The release on Sunday of ex-MPs Jawad Fairouz and Matar Ibrahim Matar, of the Al-Wefaq opposition party, follows a claim from the head of a state-appointed commission on the protests that Bahrain would eventually release about 150 detainees.

The move also comes after Bahrain's king accepted a series of political reforms drawn up by a government-sanctioned national dialogue committee created to address popular grievances, The Associated Press reported.

Bahrain has sentenced eight opposition members to life imprisonment for their involvement in the pro-democracy protests that spread across the island nation in March.

More than 1,000 people were detained by the government during the protests and at least four activists died in custody.

Vow to continue

The state news agency said the detainees were released because the time they spent in custody may amount to the sentence they would receive after trial.

The two resigned from parliament along with the rest of the Wefaq bloc in February following the government crackdown on anti-government protests.Fairooz and Matar were arrested in May on anti-state security charges and still face trial. Last month, the two pleaded not guilty to spreading false news and joining illegal gatherings.

"I am part of the peaceful opposition that will continue its legitimate demands for meaningful reforms,'' Matar told the AP after his release.

Also set free on Sunday was Mohammed al-Tajir, a human rights lawyer, who has was taken into custody in April.

The government crushed protests by implementing a series of emergency laws and with the help of foreign troops from neighbouring Gulf countries.

Activists and rights group say at least 32 people were killed during the uprising earlier this year.

Emergency laws were lifted in June, but activists and witnesses have told the AP that riot police still use sound bombs and tear gas on a regular basis to confront protesters.