Bahrain, Free the Docs!

The Gulf nation of Bahrain has announced that 47 medical workers who treated pro-democracy protesters during the nation’s popular uprising will be tried before a military court on charges of acting against the state. Some could face the death penalty for providing medical assistance to protesters.

Bahrain will investigate 30 medical workers for possible “criminal acts and violations” committed during pro-democracy protests, the official Bahrain News Agency said.

The government in Bahrain claims in a report to the United Nations that Shiite group Hezbollah is plotting against the Sunni monarchy.

The crown prince of Bahrain has declined an invitation to attend Britain’s royal wedding because of ongoing unrest in the Gulf Arab kingdom.

Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group said the Sunni-led government has demolished 30 mosques since quelling political unrest in the Persian Gulf nation last month.

Security forces killed 88 people in the bloodiest day of Syria’s uprising yesterday. They fired at thousands of pro-democracy protesters who took to the streets after prayers. Witnesses said among those gunned down at nine demos was schoolboy Anwar Moussa, 11. One demonstrator Izraa Deraa said: “Bullets flew over our heads like heavy rain.” It is the highest single day death toll in five weeks of unrest against President Bashar al-Assad.

Rights organisations are calling on the Bahraini government to halt what they term human rights violations, and to stop a crackdown on hospitals where doctors and patients suspected of being sympathetic to pro-democracy protests have been arrested.