Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
their hands in the ambulance. The medical staff was actually
trying to protect these thugs from the [outraged] protesters and
calm them. Several of the medical staff surrounded them during
their transport from the ambulance into the resuscitation room
where they got the required medical treatment.
There was no maltreatment or abuse of them, as a matter of fact
they had the treatment given to them by Senior Consultants after
their formal hospital admission and obtaining the necessary
consent for surgical treatment. According to [the Head of the
Emergency Section’s] court testimony, he mentioned that 16
individuals were not held against their will and were transferred to
BDF hospital to receive the necessary treatment.
In addition, there was one patient who sustained a fracture of [the]
right shoulder and was operated upon by [one of the accused
doctors] and [another doctor]. Next day, he was reviewed by the
team. 396
774. An MoH security guard stated that he was present during the arrival
of the Asian patients at SMC on 13 March 2011. 397 He stated that the doctor
referred to in paragraph 769 and the accused doctor referred to in paragraph
770 did not assault the patients in question but that they were among the
doctors who treated them. A consultant at SMC, who is a member of the
crisis team, stated that one of the accused doctors personally put his life in
danger on 14 March to make sure that one of the injured expatriates was not
attacked by the angry crowd at SMC. 398
775. On 14 March 2011, Dr Nazar Al Baharna, the Minister of Health at
the time, stated on Bahrain Television that there were no hostages at SMC,
and that there was no discrimination in treatment based on sect or ethnicity. 399
(8) Possession of firearms and weapons
776. The GoB’s allegations regarding the possession of firearms and
weapons by medical personnel are based on statements made by government
authorities. On 13 March 2011, the MoI received a report that some of the
medical personnel at SMC were distributing swords and firearms to protesters
and ambulance personnel. 400 Later that day, there was a further report to the
same effect. The MoI reported finding knives inside the medical tents at the
GCC Roundabout during the clearance operation on 16 March. 401
396 Email sent to the Commission on 13 September 2011 (original English text).
397 Minutes of court hearing on 7 September 2011 in Case No. 191 of 2011 (Defence witness
statements).
398 Minutes of court hearing on 7 September 2011 in Case No. 191 of 2011 (Defence witness
statements).
399 YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj5SrHavx-k accessed 5 November 2011.
400 MoI events log for February and March 2011, p 118.
401 MoI events log for February and March 2011, p 166. Pictures of confiscated weapons were
presented to the Commission by the NSA.
198