Indicted medical staff to reappear before civil courts

The Attorney General of Bahrain, Dr. Ali Alboainain, announced today in Manama that "the Department of Public Prosecutions had studied the judgment rendered by the National Safety Court on September 28 against certain medical personnel, and determined that the cases should be retried before the ordinary courts. " The Department, he said, "has the jurisdiction to do so by virtue of its authority to ensure rightful application of the law. " The Attorney General added that "the retrial will be conducted before the highest civil court in Bahrain ... the Department of Public Prosecutions seeks to establish the truth and to enforce the law, while protecting the rights of the accused. By virtue of the retrials, the accused will have the benefit of full reevaluation of evidence and full opportunity to present their defence. " The Attorney General stressed that "no doctors or other medical personnel may be punished by reason of the fulfillment of their humanitarian duties or their political views. Pending the outcome of the retrials, the accused shall not be detained. " He added that as a general matter he would continue to assess the judgments of the National Safety Court in the interest of ensuring compliance with the rule of law, and where he deems it appropriate he will move for retrials before the ordinary judiciary.