The medical profession in Bahrain has been targeted by the authorities following the recent protests calling for political reform in the Kingdom. On 3 May 2011, the Military Public Prosecution charged 24 doctors and 23 nurses and paramedics of various offences based on "investigation results" and "confessions of some of the defendants". Serious violations against the medical profession in contravention of Bahraini and international standards have included arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, abduction, beating and verbal abuse. Scores of medical personnel have been held in incommunicado detention during which they were reportedly tortured and ill-treated apparently to force them to confess to charges leveled against them.
On 16 November 2010, human rights defender Ms Carolina Rubio Esguerra was detained by members of the Seccional de Investigación Criminal - SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Unit) in Bucaramanga City, Colombia, and is currently being held at the SIJIN Headquarters. Carolina Rubio Esguerra is in her ninth month of pregnancy.
Front Line is gravely concerned that the Prosecutor General of Bahrain has denied that a file has been opened regarding human rights defender Mr Ali Abdulemam, who has not been seen since his arrest on 4 September 2010.
Human rights defender, Mr David Ravelo Crespo, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Corporación Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos – CREDHOS (Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights), was arrested on 14 September 2010 by members of the Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación de la Fiscalía – CTI (Technical Investigation Division of the District Attorney's office).
On 30 August 2010, police in the western Belarusian city of Berastse (Brest) detained prominent human rights defender Mr Raman Kislyak, while his distributed leaflets to mark the International Day of the Disappeared. Raman Kislyak is a human rights lawyer.
Human rights defender and Acting Editor of the recently closed Amar Desh newspaper, Mr Mahmudur Rahman, has been placed on 12-day remand on charges of terrorism and sedition, after his arrest on 2 June 2010.
Front Line is extremely concerned following reports that human rights defender and community leader, Vicente Zhunio Samaniego, from Ecuador, has been located, after 16 hours of incommunicado detention, in a hospital with gunshot wounds to the head.
Front Line is concerned following reports that journalist Mr Lotfi Hidouri was arrested on 10 December 2008 at Tunis' Carthage airport as he prepared to leave for Beirut to attend the Third Arab Free Press Forum. Mr Mohamed Abbou, was also prevented from leaving the country and attending the conference in Beirut after he intervened to determine the reason for Lotfi Hidouri's arrest. Lotfi Hidouri is the sub-editor of Kalima newspaper and a member of L'Observatoire pour la Liberté de Presse – OLPEC (The Observatory for the Freedom of the Press). Mohamed Abbou is a lawyer and a member of the Conseil National pour les Libertés en Tunisie – CNLT (National Council for Liberties in Tunisia).
Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defenders Osman Ibrahim, Alam Aldeen Abd Alghni, Emad Merghni Seed Ahmed, Abd Allah Abd Alghume, Mugahid Mohamed Abdalla and Osman Shammat on 19 August 2007. However, Front Line remains deeply concerned at the ongoing detention of human rights defender and University lecturer Dr Mohammed Julal Hashim. Dr Mohammed Julal Hashim was arrested on 15 June 2007. He received his last visit from his family two weeks ago when he was being detained in Debek Prison, north Khartoum, but it is believed that he may have been transferred to the national security wing of Kober Prison in Khartoum North. Reports state that he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. Front Line is concerned that he may be at risk of torture and ill-treatment.
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