Bahrain doctor claims beatings and abuses against \u2018Shiite traitors\u2019 by Sunni jailers
\nBy Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, July 9, 6:07 AM<\/p>\n
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates \u2014 During more than two months in a Bahrain prison, the routine rarely varied: Alleged abuses by day such as beatings with a rubber hose, and then being blindfolded and dragged into a corridor at night to lie on cold tiles with others arrested in the Gulf kingdom\u2019s crackdown on pro-reform protests.<\/p>\n
The account \u2014 recounted to The Associated Press by a surgeon from Bahrain\u2019s main state-run hospital \u2014 is among many claims of rights violations as authorities crushed the Gulf\u2019s main Arab Spring uprising. It also shows the huge challenges for Bahrain\u2019s Western-backed rulers to rebuild their image and lead reconciliation talks that began this month.<\/p>\n
The allegations by the surgeon and other medical personnel remain some of the most politically sensitive between Bahrain\u2019s Sunni monarchy and the majority Shiites seeking a greater political voice in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy\u2019s 5th Fleet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey insulted us as \u2018Shiite traitors,\u2019\u201d said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals and worries about jeopardizing his defense in court. \u201cThey kept saying we were ungrateful to the (Sunni) king and what he did for us. \u2018You don\u2019t deserve to stay in Bahrain,\u2019 they said.\u201d<\/p>\n
The state hospital became contested ground after the uprising began in February as it was flooded with injured protesters \u2014 some wounded by live ammunition \u2014 and authorities conducted arrest sweeps in the wards. A total of 48 Shiite doctors and nurses, including the surgeon, still face a range of charges from supporting the protests to trying to overthrow the state.<\/p>\n
But the claims of abuses while in custody could bring further international scrutiny on Bahrain\u2019s harsh tactics against demonstrators and are among the many bitter and unresolved tensions that could unravel the U.S.-encouraged talks between the leadership and opposition. …more<\/a><\/p>\n