Iran Calls on Bahraini Gov’t to Pay Attention to Popular Demands

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham urged the Manama government to respect the peaceful protests of the people and pay heed to their demands.
“It goes without saying that Bahrain’s internal outlook should be based on dialogue and strengthening national talks and public participation; we hope that this trend will receive the (Bahraini) officials’ attention more than before,” Afkham said, addressing her weekly press conference in Tehran on Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham
She pointed to the conditions of political prisoners in Bahrain, and said, “I hope that Bahrain’s conditions will be reinforced through holding national talks… .”

“There are reports by human rights watchdogs … that we also observe and show restrictions in Bahrain,” Afkham added.

Both the UN and the EU have urged that the only way out of Bahrain’s current crisis is dialogue and national reconciliation.

Bahrain has been witnessing almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, when an uprising began in the kingdom. Since then, thousands of protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.