'Two doctors who are facing jail for treating anti-government protesters in Bahrain have told Sky News how they were tortured by the authorities.
Surgeon Dr Ghassan Dhaif and his wife Dr Zarhra Al Sammak, an anaesthetist, have received prison terms of 15 and five years respectively.
They were among a group of 20 medical staff sentenced by a military court after being accused of stealing medicine, stockpiling weapons and occupying a hospital.
Dr Dhaif told Sky: "These charges are not realistic, they were brought in without any evidence.
"The only evidence that they have was from the person in charge of the interrogation and he himself has been accused of torturing all the medics and also the other people whom he interrogated.
"The whole process was completely illegal."
Dr Dhaif described the torture they were subjected to following their arrests: "These interrogations were completely carried out under severe torture.
"All of us were subjected to massive torture and this torture going on from kicks, using sticks, using a plastic hose, using plastic bottles, using shoes."
The couple are expecting to be summoned by the court, before beginning their prison sentences, at any time.
Their lawyers are appealing against the jail terms but Dr Al Sammak said she is "not very optimistic".
She said: "They blindfolded us and forced us to sign confessions, we don't know what was written on those and they are taking those confessions as the main evidence against us."
The charges followed an uprising in the Gulf state in February and March which was violently halted with the help of troops from Saudi Arabia.
Protests against the Sunni rulers came amid accusations by a Shia Muslim majority of discrimination in access to state jobs, healthcare and homes.
Human rights groups condemned the sentences with Amnesty International accusing authorities of putting the doctors on trial because some had criticised the violent crackdown on protesters.'
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