Bahraini medics spoke out on Thursday one day after an appeals court upheld their convictions for treating demonstrators during anti-government protests. Nine medics received sentences ranging from one month to five years, while nine others had their cases dismissed. Two of the medics, doctors Ghassan Dhaif and Ali al-Ekri, said their convictions were baseless.

Ghassan Dhaif: “The only crime that we have done is treating the wounded people. This sentence is very harsh. We consider it inappropriate, and it does not suit medical personnel who have been in practice for the last 23 years.”

Ali al-Ekri: “I did suppress and march and rally against the, you know, ex-minister, al-Hamar, who was sacked in a week time by the king himself. That was my only crime, if they consider it. I have five years. It’s quite clear that this is a political verdict.”

The trial of the medics was seen as a key test of the U.S.-backed Bahraini monarchy’s avowed commitment to political reform. In response to the verdict, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Michael Posner, said the U.S. is “deeply disappointed” by the convictions. The Obama administration resumed military shipments to Bahrain last month after a half-year pause.