A refugee said "I cannot go back to my country because of the following points: 1. Imprisonment and Persecution 2. Torture and punishment 3. Electric torture 4. Beating with the stick on the feet (corporal punishment) 5. threatening me to be killed 6. Lack of human rights organizations which can lobby against human rights violation in the country. 7. Threatening to abuse my family members. 8. Demolition of my house. Due to all that I can’t go back".

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Sep 23, 2011

Take Action for Doctors in Bahrain - Put Pressure on Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI)

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has maintained its links with Bahrain despite the arrest of health care professionals for treating injured protesters. The RCSI has done nothing to vindicate the rights of even its former students who were arrested and forced to confess under duress. Instead the RCSI has chosen to side with the authorities in Bahrain.

The King of Bahrain is STILL a Fellow of the RCSI!

YOU CAN ACT TO STOP THIS

Please write to, ring and e-mail Professor Eilis McGovern President of RCSI

A sample letter is below.



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Professor Eilis McGovern
President
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
123 St Stephens Green
Dublin 2
Ireland
Tel: 01 402 2344
Email: emcgovern@rcsi.ie

I am writing highlight my concern at the inaction of the RCSI after the arrest and unfair trial before a military court of 47 doctors and nurses in Bahrain. There have been serious and credible allegations of torture made in relation to these arrests.

I am also appalled that the RCSI maintains its links with Bahrain and that the King of Bahrain is still a Fellow of the RCSI.

Among the doctors and nurses currently on trial are three doctors who studied at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dr Ali Al Ekri, Dr Basim Daif and Dr Ghassan Daif.

All three were arbitrarily detained, held in incommunicado detention, reportedly tortured, denied access to their families for two months and forced to confess under duress. These "confessions" were videotaped while they were blindfolded and are being used as evidence against them.

Additionally, Dr Ghassan’s wife Dr Zahra Alsammak, who also studied in Dublin, was detained for 25 days and is also facing charges.

I am calling on the RCSI to:

1. Publicly condemn the targeting of medical professionals who were simply performing their duty to injured protesters.

2. Publicly Revoke the Fellowship of the King of Bahrain immediately.

3. Call for an immediate independent investigation into the allegations of torture of medical professionals.

Yours sincerely