Saudi Al-Salam International Hospital, for which the two Egyptian doctors, who were sentenced to be lashed and imprisoned, were working, issued a statement in the form of a paid advertisement in most of Saudi papers. An advertisement in Saudi Al-Madina newspaper, for instance, says: "Egyptian doctors are treated well in Al-Salam International Hospital in Jeddah and the trade union advisor in the Egyptian embassy confirms this." The statement highlighted that Dr Ra'ouf Amin Mohamed Al-Arabi did not work for the hospital. It also called for the hospital's files to be reviewed, as they confirm that the hospital has never mistreated Egyptian doctors. For his part, Naguib Gebra'il, the head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations and lawyer of the two doctors, issued a statement titled "Refuting lies" in which he says: "The statement issued by Al-Salam Hospital is not signed by any Egyptian doctor, so it has no credibility." "The hospital quotes the trade union advisor of the Egyptian embassy in Jeddah saying that the Egyptian doctors are treated well" he goes on to say. "The advisor, though, is the person who sent a report to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry saying that this hospital mistreats the Egyptians and that it has fabricated the accusations at the two doctors, who are currently being detained in the Saudi prisons. Therefore, the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower issued a decree forbidding Egyptians from working in this hospital." Gebra'il condemns the hospital's allegation that Al-Arabi did not work for the hospital, adding: "Al-Arabi was manager of the hospital and all the documents as well as the ruling issued against him confirm this."
