Abdollahian said on Monday that the Bahraini regime must understand the “sensitive” situation in the region and release the Secretary General of al-Wefaq opposition group, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the Bahraini regime must understand the “sensitive” situation in the region and release the Secretary General of al-Wefaq opposition group, Sheikh Ali Salman.

The Bahraini government must understand the “sensitive and complicated” situation in the region and pay serious attention to the warnings by the political and religious authorities, as well as those by regional well-wishers about the continued detention of the prominent cleric, Abdollahian told IRNA news agency.

“Through the systematic violation of human rights and continuation of such measures, the Bahraini government … will create problems for the security of Bahrain and the region,” the Iranian official added.

He emphasized that the continuation of Bahrain’s crackdown and violence against protesters is a cause for concern and would deepen the crisis in the Persian Gulf state.

The Iranian diplomat said Sheikh Salman’s detention reveals a “serious crisis” in Bahrain, adding, “Tehran urges [the Bahraini government to put] the focus on a political solution and real national dialog to settle the ongoing crisis in Bahrain.”

The Iranian official’s remarks came after Bahraini public prosecutor on Sunday extended the detention of al-Wefaq S.G. by 15 more days despite widespread protests over the issue.

The prosecution has rejected a request by defense lawyers to release the cleric on bail.

Sheikh Salman has been in detention for more than one week.
His lawyers say prosecutors have formally charged the opposition figure with inciting a change of government by force, inciting hatred of a segment of society, inciting others to break the law, and insulting the Interior Ministry.