Bahrain's Health Minister has pledged to ask King Hamad to release on bail 14 medics who were imprisoned following anti-government protests in March.
The commitment was made following a two-day visit by an Irish delegation to the gulf kingdom.
However, the delegation was denied permission to visit three Irish-trained doctors who remain in custody.
The group included former Minister for Foreign Affairs David Andrews, Marian Harkin MEP, Senator Averil Power, Professor Eoin O'Brien, Andrew Anderson and Khalid Ibrahim.
