The United States may not be able to propose solutions for all the Middle East, but it can prescribe the course of events unfolding in some Arab Spring countries. Case in point: Bahrain.

After thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets in the small Gulf kingdom earlier this year, the Bahraini government’s response was brutal and systematic: shoot civilian protesters, detain and torture them, and erase all evidence. On the frontline, treating hundreds of these wounded civilians, doctors gained firsthand knowledge of these abuses.

As part of a Physicians for Human Rights investigation in Bahrain last month, Dr. Nizam Peerwani and I conducted in-depth interviews with 47 medical workers, patients, and other eyewitnesses to human rights violations. We corroborated these testimonies by conducting physical examinations of beaten and tortured protesters and by examining their medical records and X-rays. We also investigated four suspicious deaths in custody.

Cambridge, Mass. – PHR today announced that several prominent medical associations and health professionals, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians, have joined together to call for Bahrain to cease all attacks on hospitals, patients, and medical professionals. In a joint letter sent today to Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force, the groups urge Bahrain to respect its international legal obligations and bring an end to all other violations of medical neutrality.

“We are pleased to be joined by so many prestigious medical associations and health professionals as we call for the Crown Prince of Bahrain to end the government’s ongoing violations of medical neutrality,” said Frank Davidoff, MD, MACP, Interim Chief Executive Officer of PHR. “The reports of the arrests and disappearances of medical professionals are particularly disturbing and are cause for an immediate international investigation.”

The letter will be hand-delivered today to the Bahrain Ambassador to the United States. Additional copies will be sent to Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State; Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Amr Moussa, Secretary General, Arab League; Yves Daccord, Director-General, International Committee of the Red Cross; and Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization.

The distinguished associations included in this appeal represent tens of thousands of health professionals in the US and internationally. They join the many who have already spoken out via PHR’s campaign, Bahrain Free the Docs.

Read the letter

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.

MANAMA, Bahrain, April 25 (UPI) — The government in Bahrain claims in a report to the United Nations that Shiite group Hezbollah is plotting against the Sunni monarchy.

Bahrain is facing international scrutiny over its response to a Shiite uprising against the country’s ruling Sunni minority.

The group Physicians for Human Rights said last week it had forensic evidence that Bahraini security forces attacked medical staff and patients with birdshot, rubber bullets and “unidentified chemical agents.”

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.

In separate statements on Friday, Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights slammed the government’s attacks on medical staff.