Cairo - Bahrain Public Prosecutor Ali al-Boainain has ordered the re-trial of 20 Shi’a medics handed jail terms by a military court of up to 15 years on sedition charges, the broadcaster BBC Arabic service reported on Thursday.
“After reviewing the file of the case, the public prosecutor has decided that the ruling issued by the National Security Court on September 28 should be reconsidered in the civilian courts,” a statement from the prosecutor's office said.
The statement added that the medics should not be punished for their political views.
The medics, who were working at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in the Bahraini capital Manama, received jail terms ranging from five to 15 years, allegedly for treating injured protesters during pro-democracy demonstrations in March.
The rulings were slammed by local and international human rights groups as politically motivated.
A series of rallies were held in March in the tiny Gulf kingdom showing discontent among Bahrain's Shi’a majority. They called for the ouster of the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty that has ruled the country for around 200 years. - Sapa-dpa