The first major report on repression of the medical profession during the country's crisis details how a doctor was abducted during an operation and injured patients lying in hospital were tortured and threatened with rape, reiterating that torture, beating, verbal abuse, humiliation, and threats of rape and killing were among techniques used against the injured protesters.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) followed a report by The Independent on Thursday detailing threats faced by medical staff who treated victims of the repression. More than 30 medics have been taken away by security forces and have had little or no contact with their families.
The report said it found that security forces targeted Shia doctors in particular. The crackdown has created such a climate of fear that wounded people were too frightened to go to hospital to seek treatment.
The group reported also "systematic and targeted attacks against medical personnel, as a result of their efforts to provide unbiased care for wounded protesters," documenting 32 medical professionals under arrest.
Military checkpoints and soldiers at the country's main hospital have terrified staff and patients, some of whom have been tortured, according to Richard Sollom, author of the PHR report.
Earlier on Thursday, another report revealed that Bahraini authorities has arrested dozens of Bahraini doctors.
The regime has intensified an intimidation campaign against medical staff over treating the victims of the deadly Saudi-led crackdown on protesters.
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