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Sunday 2 October 2011

Dr. Nada Dhaif ... The kidnapped Bahraini doctor.


Dr. Nada Dhaif


Dr. Nada Dhaif is a dentist arrested from her house after being attacked by police, on March 18th, at 4 AM. and released at 4th of  May 11:30 PM. To be sentenced for 15 years by a special tribunal (military court) in Bahrain. She was tortured, detained for two months, beaten with rubber hoses, threatened with rape, and not allowed to sleep and forced to singe a criminatory papers while blindfolded. Dr. Nada Dhaif  is out on bail now, but expects to be re-arrested, separated from her children again and sent to prison at any moment.

Allegations of her arrest: Crime against the State.

Her first hearing session were on 5th of June 2011 along with:
1-Dr. Fatima Haji, rheumatologist.
2-Dr. Ahmed Jamal, former head of Bahrain Doctors’ Association.
3-Dr. Nabeel Tammam, ENT surgeon.
4-Dr. Zahra’ Alsammak.
5-Dr. Nehad Al-Shirawi.
6-Dr. Jalila Al-Aali, endocrinologis.
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights did not get information about the trial of doctors and nurses ” Still in custody”.
( Ref
: http://bahrain.phrblog.org/the-missing )
On 3 May 2011 , Bahraini authorities announced charges against the medical staff ( Ref: http://byshr.org/?p=410 )
An official document certified that the transfer of medical equipment from the Salmaniya Hospital was done legally ( Ref: http://byshr.org/?p=493 )




Actions and Reactions towards the sentences handed out by the Bahrain military court against Bahraini medics.


1 - Foreign Secretary William Hague has said that he is concerned about sentences handed out by a Special Tribunal in Bahrain.

29 September 2011




2 - Campaign to support the medics in Bahrain.


Frankie Dolan of MedWorm talking about her response the the recent sentencing of medical workers in Bahrian for up to 15 years in prison for treating the wounded.



3 - PHR Denounces Sentences Passed on Bahraini Medics and Protestors


Calls for persecution of health providers to cease


Cambridge, Mass - 09/29/2011

PHR denounces the guilty verdicts and harsh sentences issued in Bahrain against 20 medical professionals and two protestors on September 29. The medics were convicted for providing care to protestors during the country’s popular uprising earlier this year. PHR calls on the government of Bahrain to set aside the verdicts and not carry out the sentences.




4 - front line : Update: Bahrain: Medical Care Criminalized in Bahrain


 Dr. Nada Dhaif's real crime:

She mentioned a taboo'd word in the Arab world, DICTATOR, for that she was sentenced for 15 years imprisonment, puting in mind that she helped those been hurt and injured by the infamous Dictator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZdyiK-Z5Do&t=15m36s





Interviews:

1-    Dr. Nada Dhaif interview with CNN after she was sentence for 15 years.


2-    Press TV :Discussion about Bahrain medics sentences
With:
Dr Nada Dhaif - sentenced to 15 years
Osama Al Aradi - President Bahrain Medical Association
Dominic Kavakeb - Bahrain Justice and Development Movement
Colin Cavell - Former Bahrain University Professor

Press TV: Kidnapped Bahraini doctor tells story.



One of many doctors taken by Bahraini armed forces in the middle of a night and sentenced on trumped up charges after suffering abuse and torture speaks to Press TV.

 
Dr. Nada Dhaif, Bahraini physician, Manama interviews with Press TV about her disturbing ordeal she experienced at the hands of and in the custody of al-Khalifa forces - Forces that continue to be fully supported by the American and British governments. Following is a transcript of her interview.
Press TV: Tell us about what you experienced. Tell us about what happened in terms of what you were doing at the Pearl Roundabout; in terms of treating the wounded and the injured and of course, what followed after that?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: I was involved in setting the medical center at the Lulu roundabout and it was purely a volunteer job and I wanted to make sure as well as the rest of my colleagues that volunteered there that the maximum number of people could get the medical attention they deserved. It was purely professional and humanitarian.
Press TV: What happened to you in terms of you being detained - What kind of charges were brought against you?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: The charges I received was crimes against the state. The most serious charge was occupying a hospital with force, using weapons and controlling the hospital. Another serious charge was inciting the overthrow of the regime; and spreading false news and hatred of the regime and other charges…
Press TV: Are they valid?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: Not at all. First of all, I work in a private clinic - my own private clinic. I've always worked in the private sector, never in government. I find the charges ridiculous. There is no single evidence for those charges and yet I was sentenced for fifteen years. There was no single evidence provided against me.
Even all of the witnesses - the state witnesses as well as the defense witnesses from the acumen of the hospital and from the acumen of the Ministry said they don't know her (me) and that she never came to the hospital. And still I was charged for that serious crime and sentenced.
Press TV: Tell us about when they came for you - We understand that regime forces came into your house in the middle of the night and detained you. What ordeal did you go through at that moment and then following that? Where did they take you and was there any type of abuse or torture?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: I was detained on the 19th. At first I didn't know they were security forces - they were just people in civilian clothes and armed and so I thought I was kidnapped. It was 3am. They stormed into my house and I was taken blindfolded and handcuffed. They had civilian cars and didn't wear uniforms so I didn't know who they were.
I was taken to an unknown place. Later on, a week or ten days later, I realized I was taken to the information department, the CID (Criminal Investigations Directorate) in al Adlia, the investigation department.
Immediately after I was taken or kidnapped, the mistreatment started with beatings and kicking and cursing and to the extent that an electric device was used on my ears and my face.
Press TV: Do I understand you correctly that you were shocked, that electric shocks were exercised on you?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: Yes, yes exactly.
Press TV: What did you do - What did you say to them?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: I was in shock. I was crying and I lost consciousness three or four times during that period. I lost consciousness; I was taken to their military clinic.
Press TV: You said it took about a week to ten days before you understood what was going on during this time - Were you allowed, a) visitation rights by a family member or b) and maybe more importantly, access to lawyers?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: Not at all. I was not allowed to call my family. I was allowed to call my husband for one minute and I was on speaker phone. I was not allowed to shower or bath or go the bathroom for that long period.
It was a month later when I first talked with my kids, my little girls and never to my lawyer. Until the day of my release I was not allowed visitation.
Press TV: This might be very hard for you to answer, but I'd like to ask you anyway and if you feel uncomfortable you don't need to answer - the way you were treated - you mentioned you were shocked, electrocuted - What other forms of abuse happened while you were in detention or other forms of abuse you experienced?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: There was verbal abuse at the evaluation cursing me and cursing my family; my religion; always calling me bad names all based around sex. I was threatened with rape if I didn't confess and sign on the papers - I was blindfolded.
Press TV: Aside from what you have gone through, tell us about the movement, about the Bahrainis upon hearing your case and other cases similar to you - What do they feel at this point in terms of the revolution there?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: Well, I can't speak about politics because I am purely professional (medical), but I see so much hate on the street; so much feeling. And I see people not accepting it - they look up to us as heroes and it's hurting them that they (the regime) are doing this to their doctors who stood for them and helped them.
I am completely speechless. If you were living here in Manama you would feel the heat and the situation looks like it's about to explode.
Press TV: You've been sentenced to fifteen years - Can you repeal? What's going to happen in terms of when this sentence is going to come into effect - When do you have to submit yourself?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: I don't know because at this time they are transferring our files from the military court to the civilian court and that should start by early next week. We are not sure, but expect an arrest warrant and we have passed a message that we are ready to submit ourselves.
We don't want to have to go through that horrifying drama again. I don't want my kids to go through that again; it has already scarred them and will scar them for the rest of their lives. I don't want it to happen again and am even willing to go by myself.
Press TV: Is your family in immediate danger?
Dr. Nada Dhaif: I think so, yes.


3-    (CBS): Dr. Nadu Dhaif was one of many health workers who treated the injured in makeshift clinics and supported their cause. Now, as she explained in a Skype interview, a Bahraini court has handed down its judgement.
"I was sentenced for 15 years in prison," she said. "It was a complete total shock."
The World Medical Association has called the sentences handed down to 20 doctors "totally unacceptable." The convictions were based on confessions -- some broadcast on TV, and some, as in Dhaif's case, extracted under duress.
"I was given an abundance of papers to sign while I was blindfolded," she said.
"You were given papers while you blindfolded and told to sign them?" asked Phillips.
"Yes, yes."
"Why did you sign those papers if you couldn't see what you were signing?"
"I was threatened," said Dhaif. "I had to sign them. They would beat me, torture me if I don't go ahead and sign those papers."
Dhaif is out on bail now, but expects to be re-arrested -- separated from her children again and sent to prison at any moment.
Going public, she said, is her only hope.




4-    ABC: The full story

Bahraini doctors sent to jail after protests



PETER CAVE: Overnight in Bahrain, 13 doctors were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Another seven doctors received lesser sentences. The government says the doctors were aiding and abetting protesters.
The World Today spoke to one of those doctors in August when she told us she feared giving us her name. Now Dr Nada Dhaif has received a 15-year-sentence and says there's no point hiding her identity.


She spoke to Connie Agius.

CONNIE AGIUS: When The World Today spoke to Doctor Nada Dhaif in July this year, she said she knew she and her colleagues were being targeted because they had been witnesses to the crimes of the regime.
Dr Dhaif was one of 57 medics charged with crimes against the state.
Today 20 of them were handed their punishments. Dr Dhaif received one of the harshest sentences - 15 years in jail.

NADA DHAIF: It was very quick today at the court. Our lawyers asked us not to be present because in case if we get verdicts they will take it into action and they will pull us in.
So my family went to the court. It finished so quickly. They just read the verdicts and it was very shocking and irrational. We (inaudible) through the Twitter, through the Facebook, just shortly before the people came out of the court and spread it.

CONNIE AGIUS: It's the culmination of a tortuous period for many of those caught up in the protests against the regime earlier this year.

Dr Dhaif maintains her only crime was to treat the protesters who arrived at the Salmaniya Medical Centre in the capital Manama.
She says she was detained for two months, beaten with rubber hoses, threatened with rape, and not allowed to sleep.
She says she was released after signing a confession while blindfolded, and forced to appear on national television to admit to links to Iran, stealing hospital equipment and causing the deaths of patients.

Abdulaziz al Khalifa from the Bahrain Information Affairs Authority says their crimes amounted to an attempt to overthrow the regime.

ABDULAZIZ AL KHALIFA: We have found these 20 people not practising their profession in the manner that all doctors and nurses should have been abiding to.
This is based on evidence and actions that is in direct contravention of the medical roles and responsibilities.

CONNIE AGIUS: But Nada Dhaif says the doctors have been given little opportunity to defend the charges. She says the evidence they've presented to the court has been ignored.

NADA DHAIF: No matter what evidence and documents and witnesses we gave to the judge, nothing seems to work.
My lawyers tried to grant me the permission to speak to the judge and say what happened and he refused to listen to us. Even the hearing sessions, before the sentencing, it was cancelled.
Our lawyers, they were not allowed to go and submit it verbally. I mean the judge asked for everything in writing. All these points are in valid to them. Still they carried on and they gave me 15 years for that charge.

CONNIE AGIUS: Doctor Dhaif says it's a lot to come to terms with.

NADA DHAIF: I'm still shocked. Everybody is actually. It's beyond reason. It's very irrational. Most of us were very shaky after hearing the verdict.
I still can't believe it. I mean why? The question is why I was sentenced for 15 years just for helping injured people? I did crimes against the state, what crimes?

CONNIE AGIUS: But she says she now faces one of her toughest challenges, how to explain the news to her two daughters.

NADA DHAIF: They're already very much traumatised from the way I disappeared the last time. Their mother was gone for two months and they didn't know where I was.
They just woke up in the morning and I was gone. And when I came back home they were blaming me. Mum, you didn't call. You didn't take your bag. You didn't take your things. We didn't believe you. Where were you? How come you didn't ask about us? And it's very much heart breaking.
I cannot announce that news to them. They don't know what's going on. One of them is eight, the other one is six plus. It's too hard. They will not understand.
I need to sit with their father and we need to decide what's the proper thing to do. I really don't know.

CONNIE AGIUS: A second group of Bahraini doctors, facing similar charges, are due to attend court in October.
PETER CAVE: Connie Agius reporting.










The Missing


As of today, September 29, 2011, 20 of the Bahraini health professionals who were previously detained and accused of felony have been sentenced to up to 15 years imprisonment. We do not know at this time when the imprisonment will actually begin.

Sentences


·         Dr. Ali Al-Ekri, pediatric orthopedic surgeon – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Nader Diwani, pediatrician – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Ahmed Abdulaziz Omran Hassan- 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Mahmoud Asghar, pediatric surgeon – 15 YEARS

·         Rula Al-Saffar, Head of Nursing, Salmaniya Medical Complex – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Abdulkhaleq Al-Oraibi, rheumatologist – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Ghassan Dhaif, maxillofacial surgeon – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Bassim Dhaif, orthopedic surgeon – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Nada Dhaif, dentist – 15 YEARS

·         Sayed Marhoon Al-Wedaie, Director of Paramedics and Ambulances – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Fatima Haji, rheumatologist – 5 YEARS

·         Dr. Najah Khalil, consultant, family physician, Deputy Chief of Medical Services for Primary Health Care – 5 YEARS

·         Dr. Saeed Al-Samahiji, ophthalmologist – 10 YEARS

·         Dr. Zahra Al-Sammak, anesthesia consultant – 5 YEARS

·         Ali Hassan Al-Sadadi – 15 YEARS

·         Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim – 15 YEARS

·         Dr. Hassan Mohammed Nasser Al-Toblani, head of ICU – 10 YEARS

·         Deya Ebrahim Jaffer, nurse – 5 YEARS

·         Dr. Qassim Mohammed Omran – 15 YEARS

·         Mohammed Faeq Ali Al-Shehab, lab technician – 5 YEARS

The following remain accused of misdemeanor:

·         Ali Said Abdullah, assistant paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Sadiq Abdulla, transplant surgeon RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Ameen Jaffer Abdullah Ahmed, paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Hamza Hassan Esa Ali, auxiliary RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Jalila Al-Aali, endocrinologist RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Dunia Al-Hashimi RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Hassan Ali Al-Saffi, Assistant Paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Hani Al-Aswad, ambulance driver, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Ibrahim Al-Demistani, nurse RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Hassan Al-Durazi RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Abdulhussain Ali Ebrahim RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Kulood Yaqob Al-Sayyad, senior pediatric resident RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Nehad Al-Shirawi, ICU consultant (specialist) RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Kulood Al-Durazi, consultant, obstetrician and gynecologist RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Abdulshaheed Fadhel, plastic surgeon RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Mohammed Ali Fateel, Assistant Paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Ali Ahmed Esa Ghanim RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Nabeel Hameed, neurosurgeon RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Sayed Adnan Ateya Mohammed, paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Abdulkareem Abdullah Saleh Hassan RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Ebrahim Hassan Ali Hassan RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Jaffer Salman Ahmed Hassan RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Sadiq Jaffar, pediatric resident, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Jameela Abdulhussain Jassim, nurse RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Arif Rajab, dental surgeon RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Addul Ameer Abdullah Salman, assistant paramedic RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Nayera Sarhan, consultant, family physician RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

·         Dr. Nabeel Tammam, ENT surgeon RELEASED BUT STILL ON TRIAL

Other known missing or detained medical professionals in Bahrain


·         Mohammed Abbas, ambulance driver, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED

·         Abeer Abdulaaziz, nurse, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Samia Abdulkareem, nurse RELEASED

·         Yaser Abdulla, paramedic RELEASED

·         Dheya Abu Idris, nurse RELEASED

·         Dr. Sadiq Al-Aali, Al-A’ali Medical Center RELEASED

·         Maytham Al-Amir, nurse RELEASED

·         Dr. Nabeel Al-Asheeri, pediatrics surgeon RELEASED

·         Dr. Fareeda Al-Dalal, Al-A’ali Medical Center RELEASED

·         Dr. Eman Al-Eraidh, Al-A’ali Medical Center RELEASED

·         Dr. Najah Al-Haddad, Deputy Chair, Bahrain health centers RELEASED

·         Zahra Sayed Al-Hashem, nurse RELEASED

·         Ameen Al-Aswad, paramedic, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED

·         Dr. Khulood Al-Derazi, Chairman, obstetrics & gynecology department RELEASED

·         Dr. Hisham Al-Ekri, pediatrician RELEASED

·         Dr. Radhi Al-Ekri RELEASED after two days of arrest

·         Dr. Zakariya Al-Ekri RELEASED

·         Dr. Laila Ashour, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Khatoon S. Hashem Al-Ghani, dental assistant RELEASED

·         Dr. Hannan Al-Hawaj, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Hassan Salman Al-Maatouq, nurse, Salmaniya Medical Complex

·         Dr. Hussain Makki, pediatrician RELEASED

·         Fadil Al-Mosawai, head of nursing, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Adnan Mohammed Al-Mosawy, ambulance driver RELEASED

·         Nawal Khalil Al-Owainati, Deputy Director of Nursing Services RELEASED

·         Ghadeer Jassim Al-Sammak, employee, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED

·         Dr. Jaafar Al-Touq RELEASED

·         Abdulrasool Ali, nurse, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Mohsin Ashoor, ambulance driver RELEASED

·         Younis Ashouri, Administrator, Muharraq Maternity Hospital RELEASED

·         Sayed Salih Hashim, administration, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Ali Hilal, nurse RELEASED

·         Dr. Ahmed Jamal, former head of Bahrain Doctors’ Association RELEASED

·         Dr. Nedhal Kalifa, dermatologist RELEASED

·         Dr. Raja Kadhum RELEASED

·         Batool Khadum, nurse, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Dr. Majeed Khalaf, Surgical Resident RELEASED

·         Ali Al Magabi, school nurse

·         Dr. Fatima Malalah, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Dr. Khalil Matar, consultant, family physician RELEASED

·         Mahdi Mullah, nurse RELEASED

·         Dr. Ahmed Omran RELEASED

·         Sayed Hussein Qamar, nurse, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Asma’a Salman, nurse, Isa City Medical Center RELEASED

·         Jaafar Ahmed Salamn, assistant paramedic RELEASED

·         Yousif Yaqoob Yousif, Salmaniya Medical Complex RELEASED






Other links related to Dr. Nada Dhaif:



EA World View:




Medical Independent: New rules of engagement :

The recent visit of an Irish delegation to Bahrain has heard accusations of torture prompting fresh concerns for the plight of three Irish-trained doctors still detained by authorities, reports James Fogarty.




A safe world for women:

 Bahraini doctors jailed for treating injured protesters



Twenty Bahraini medics who treated activists wounded during anti-government protests were jailed for between five and 15 years in sentences that were immediately denounced by medical bodies and human rights groups around the world.





Jadaliyya: According to the Bahraini al-Wasat newspaper, the Salmaniya Medical Complex remained under siege for days, and at least two of its doctors have been detained so far. Dr. Nada Dhaif, who appeared on Al Jazeera last week, has also been confirmed as missing by her relatives.






Dr. Nada's twitter account (@NadaDhaif): http://twitter.com/#!/NadaDhaif

  

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