Irish medical school in Bahrain may breach human rights law

A human rights organisation has claimed that the Irish government has breached human rights law by giving accreditation to a medical campus in Bahrain, operated by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI).

The Global Legal Action Network made a submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to highlight concerns over the unconditional accreditation given to the RCSI-Bahrain campus by the Irish Medical Council.

It said that the Irish state was in breach of international law because of the “occurrence of serious human rights violations, including torture” in the training hospitals used by RCSI-Bahrain. The UNHRC does not take action over written submissions so the network is now considering going to the UN’s special rapporteur on torture.

The college opened its medical campus in Bahrain in 2004. It continued the partnership despite political …