Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

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Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry 725. More specifically, the allegations are as follows: (i) medical staff provided false information to the media; (ii) medical staff provided blood to protesters, allowing them to spread blood on themselves in order to incriminate security forces; and (iii) medical staff gave atropine to some individuals in order to simulate nerve gas injuries. 726. An Al Jazeera video screened on 15 March 2011, showing a patient in a state of convulsions, was presented to the Commission as supporting the accusations regarding the administration of atropine. 330 The accusation is that the atropine was used to create similar symptoms (a state of convulsions) to those displayed by an individual who has been exposed to nerve gas, in order to incriminate the security forces. One doctor stated that there was an order from two of the accused doctors to give atropine to patients. 331 An employee at SMC stated that he saw one doctor administer atropine to patients. 332 727. The accusations regarding protesters pouring blood on themselves in order to appear injured refer mainly to witness statements and video footage. An ambulance driver stated that during the protests at the Financial Harbour, which took place from 6 to 11 March 2011, he saw protesters throw blood on their clothes and bodies in order to appear injured. 333 Commission investigators also received video footage showing protesters pouring blood from blood bags onto their clothes. 728. Claims regarding the provision of false information to the media are based on eyewitness accounts, videos and the understanding that some have drawn from the statements made in these videos. The GoB alleged that some of the medical personnel exaggerated the extent of injuries. On the other hand, the medical personnel claim that government officials deliberately understated the number of injured persons. The Deputy Chief of Medical Staff stated that on 17 February 2011, one of the accused doctors was not making any effort to assist victims but was instead running around with an Al Jazeera crew. 334 The next day, this doctor gave a statement that there were countless casualties lying all over the floor at SMC, despite the fact that the total number of people at SMC that day was actually less than the day before. According to the Deputy Chief of Medical Staff and other doctors, this doctor knew the real numbers and intentionally gave false statements to the media. 729. The GoB also accused protesters of impersonating medical staff. SMC administration presented a video that shows an individual falsely impersonating a doctor while giving an interview by telephone to an unidentified news channel. 335 The hospital administration confirmed that the individual was not a staff member at SMC. There is no evidence indicating that the individual had any relationship with any of the accused medical 330 YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIJIPEdsDCo accessed 6 November 2011. 331 Interview with the Commission, 30 July 2011. 332 Minutes of court hearing on 30 June in Case No. 191 of 2011 (Military Prosecution witness statements). 333 Interview with the Commission, 30 July 2011. 334 Interview with the Commission, 28 August 2011. 335 Video received from MoH. 186
Chapter V — Events at Salmaniya Medical Complex personnel. The Commission has no record of medical staff responding to this allegation. 730. All the above allegations by the GoB have been denied by accused medical personnel. In response to the allegation that medical staff used atropine on patients in order to simulate nerve gas injuries, one doctor stated that on 13 March 2011 the medical crew at SMC witnessed strange injuries to protesters which involved spasms and convulsions that they were unable to identify clearly. They suspected that the injuries might be the result of a type of phosphorus or nerve gas. They subsequently dealt with the protesters in accordance with the symptoms using atropine, cortisone and oxygen. He further stated that it was a hectic day with many patients on the floor of the hospital and in the car park, including many cases of gas inhalation. 731. In relation to the allegation that protesters poured blood on themselves, the response of the accused medical personnel is based on Defence witness statements presented in Case No. 191 of 2011. These statements claim that any blood had to be signed for by a doctor and the person in charge of the blood bank, and that this would have made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for doctors to obtain large quantities of blood without it being signed for. 336 732. The accused medical personnel stated that interviews were given to foreign media, but deny that these contained any intentional false statements. The doctor referred to in paragraph 728 stated that he gave interviews to international media, such as Al Jazeera, regarding the incidents involving the hospital and the numbers of injured being treated at the hospital. 337 On 18 February 2011, he gave an interview to Al Jazeera stating that there were hundreds of injured persons at SMC. He thought it was his duty to give a true and unaltered picture of what was going on inside the hospital. He considered that the information that the MoH was giving to the public and international media was simply incorrect. The number of injured persons was understated. He stated that the Minister of Health gave a statement that was completely inaccurate in relation to both the numbers of injured and incidents involving SMC. The Minister of Health had previously stated on television that there were only seven patients with minor injuries. 338 (3) Granting access to the media 733. This allegation relates to: (i) facilitating media access to SMC; (ii) giving interviews to the media; and (iii) compromising patient confidentiality. 734. Video footage shows that the media was able to conduct interviews and obtain footage from within SMC. The accused medical personnel have confirmed that they conducted interviews with the media inside the 336 Minutes of court hearing on 20 June in Case No. 191 of 2011. 337 Witness statement provided to the Commission, 2 August 2011. 338 The second announcement: the Bahrain Medical Society and the Bahrain Dentists Society, Al Wasat News (19 February 2011), http://www.alwasatnews.com/3088/news/read/528059/1.html accessed 4 November 2011 (Arabic Text). 187
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Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

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