Bahrain hospital takeover trial postponed

• Tweet

MANAMA, Bahrain, June 13 (UPI) -- A judge in Bahrain suspended Monday's trial of dozens of doctors and nurses accused of taking over a hospital during recent anti-government protests.

The trial had just gotten under way when the judge agreed to a defense request to have physical examinations provided for the defendants, some of whom claimed to have been tortured by government interrogators.

The government of the Persian Gulf nation has claimed the defendants illegally took control of the Salmaniya Medical Complex. They allegedly held patients there against their will and allowed demonstrators to stash weapons inside.

CNN said one of the 24 physicians on trial attempted to tell the judge that his confession was coerced, but the judge cut him off and said he would be able to present his evidence at a later time.