Senior cleric calls for freedom of Bahraini opposition leader

Tehran, Jan 3, IRNA - Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi in a statement released on Thursday called for freedom of the secretary general of Bahrain’s main opposition party, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman. Bahrain rulers should avoid complicating the political situation in the country, he noted. The cleric asked the Bahrain rulers to respect Bahraini nationˈs rights. In the meantime, Foreign Ministry Deputy for Arab and African Affairs, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has warned about security consequences of arrests and crackdowns in Bahrain. Amirabdollahian called recent arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, an ˈill advised and thoughtlessˈ action. Continuation of crackdown of people in Bahrain can provoke the democratic opposition to give up its peaceful approach and it can challenge the countryˈs security, he noted. Several individuals as well as political groups in their statements condemned the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman. They have called on the United Nations and the Arab League to have the Bahraini regime immediately release Sheikh Salman. The arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman on 28 December marks a further step in the confrontation between a part of the opposition and the authorities of the Kingdom of Bahrain that carries the risk of jeopardizing an already difficult political and security situation, there. Al Khalifa authorities detained Sheikh Salman on Sunday after long hours of investigation./end