9 medical aides jailed in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain - Nine medical professionals accused of aiding Bahrain's anti-government uprising were sentenced Thursday to prison terms ranging from one month to five years, a decision that brought complaints from international rights groups and a senior U.S. envoy.

Nine others were freed, and 15-year sentences were upheld against two doctors who fled Bahrain.

"This is a black day for doctors and medical professionals," said Rula Al Safar, a nurse and Widener University alumna, who was among those freed. (She wrote a column in Tuesday's Inquirer about her plight.)

The verdicts came nearly eight months after the 20-member group was sentenced to prison terms of between five and 15 years by a now disbanded security tribunal, set up by the Sunni monarchy as part of crackdowns against Shiite-led protests that began in February 2011. A retrial in civilian court was ordered earlier this year.

The cases against the doctors and nurses were among the most sensitive for Bahrain's leadership as it struggles with near daily clashes and protests by the kingdom's majority Shiites.

Authorities claim some medical personnel openly sided with the demonstrations and tried to topple Bahrain's ruling system, which has close ties to the West and hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. The medical teams deny the charges and accuse state security forces of abuses such as turning wards into makeshift detention sites for suspected protesters. They also alleged they suffered beatings and other torture while in custody.

Michael Posner, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, told reporters in Bahrain's capital, Manama, that Washington was "disappointed" by the court ruling. He appealed for reconciliation talks in Bahrain but acknowledged that the nation remains deeply divided.