Manama: Bahrain has condemned Iran’s interference in its domestic affairs, saying that a statement by the Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman was false.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain strongly condemns the repetitive interference of the Islamic Republic of Iran in its domestic affairs, the latest of which came in a statement for the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman about the search of a Bahraini citizen’s house by the Ministry of Interior’s authorities,” the ministry said.
Bahrain’s leading Shiite opposition group said on Tuesday that security forces raided the home of the country’s most prominent Shiite cleric Shaikh Eisa Qasim.
Opposition bloc Al Wefaq criticised the search of his house in the mostly Shiite village of Deraz as a “provocative and irrational step.”
On its Twitter feed, Bahrain’s interior ministry said police searched a house in Deraz after receiving residents’ permission as part of a search for a bombing suspect. It did not mention the cleric by name.
‘Indiscreet action’
The Iranian spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, on Tuesday reportedly said that the search was an “indiscreet action” and that Bahraini officials are expected to “punish the perpetrators of this unacceptable action.”
However, Bahrain said that the search of the house in the village of Deraz to the west of the capital Manama was carried out with the permission and in the presence of the house dwellers and that it was in line with the rule of the law.
In another tweet, it said that the action was conducted “after receiving permission from the residents to search for a suspect wanted in the November 20 Budaiya bus blast.”
The ministry subsequently posted a video of the search.
The foreign affairs ministry in its statement confirmed the procedures.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Interior authorities, who were looking for a wanted person in connection with a terrorist case, entered the house after obtaining permission from the occupants and conducted a search in their presence. The Ministry categorically dismisses the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman’s false information and stresses that the Kingdom of Bahrain treats all Bahraini citizens on an equal footing and in accordance with the principle of the rule of law, which is applicable to all, without distinction or discrimination,” the ministry said.
“It reiterates its call on Iran to respect the principles of good neighbourliness and mutual respect of state sovereignty and to cease meddling in the internal affairs of the kingdom of Bahrain and throwing false and baseless allegations that should never be issued by an official responsible establishment such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” it said.
— with inputs from AP
