The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon slammed the long jail terms sentenced by the Bahraini authorities against 20 doctors as harsh ruling, calling for the release of political prisoners.

 
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon slammed the long jail terms sentenced by the Bahraini authorities against 20 doctors as harsh ruling, calling for the release of political prisoners.

Ban "expresses his deep concern over the harsh sentences handed down in Bahrain to civilians, medical professionals, teachers and others, by the Court of National Safety," said UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky on Friday.
"These proceedings were conducted under conditions that raised serious questions of due process irregularities."

Thirteen doctors and nurses were jailed for 15 years for crimes against the state and seven other medical professionals were given sentences of between five and 10 years by a special tribunal on Thursday that was set up during the emergency rule that followed the demonstrations.

The medics themselves condemned the verdict, calling the decision "ludicrous".
"The charges that we have being accused of are absolutely ludicrous," they said in a statement released on Thursday.
"We condemn the local media’s fabrications to distort the events that occurred inside the hospital during the unrest, and tarnish the image of professional medical workers who worked tirelessly to treat the sick and wounded."

Human rights groups also voiced concerns for these sentences Bahrain's use of the security court, which has military prosecutors and both civilian and military judges, in prosecuting civilians.
The UN human rights office questioned the fairness of the Bahrain court that sentenced the medics.

The Kingdom has witnessed peaceful anti-government rallies since mid-February, demanding an end to the Al Khalifa's over-40-year-long rule over the Persian Gulf Island.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested in a brutal Manama-ordered and Riyadh-backed crackdown in the country.