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Bahraini medics hit with weapons charge

MANAMA, Bahrain, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Prosecutors in the retrial of 20 medical personnel convicted of trying to overthrow the Bahraini government produced weapons they said were found in a hospital.

The weapons -- including swords, hammers, chains and machine guns -- at first provoked laughter among the defendants who later became angry as they denied ever seeing them, CNN reported.

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"That evidence is being fabricated," Fatima Haji, one of the medics being retried, said of the weapons cache.

The medical personnel, arrested during pro-democracy protests this year and convicted in October, are being retried in civilian court, saying they hope their sentences of five to 15 years in prison will be tossed.

Observers said they hoped the government would be more amenable toward the defendants following an independent commission report last week that criticized the government's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

The defense objected strongly to presenting the weapons in court, saying they weren't registered as evidence and weren't presented at the first trial, CNN said. The defense also said it wasn't notified about the weapons.

The case sparked criticism among human rights groups, with Amnesty International calling it a "travesty of justice." The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply disturbed."

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The hearing was adjourned until Jan. 9.

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