Iran's Reaction to Bahrain Executions: 'Bahrain Government is Not Seeking a Way Out of the Crisis'

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the execution of three Bahraini citizens as a sign of the intensification of 'security approaches' and a move towards 'complete political blockage' in the country, stating that the Bahraini government 'is not seeking a way out of the crisis'. According to the state news agency IRNA, Bahram Qasemi announced hours after the news of the execution of three Bahraini citizens that the government of this country 'once again demonstrated with this reckless action that it is not seeking a peaceful solution and a way out of the Bahrain crisis'. He emphasized that the Bahraini government 'always insists on following security and repressive measures and the brutal killing of defenseless protesters'. Mr. Qasemi, referring to efforts to resolve the Bahrain crisis through 'dialogue and interaction', added that the government of this country 'is blocking the path for any negotiation and political dialogue day by day by intensifying security approaches, imposing restrictions, and exerting pressure on opposition leaders and executing political prisoners, leading the country towards a complete political blockage'. He stressed that by continuing this path, the Bahraini government 'is undoubtedly responsible for the consequences of extremist actions and behaviors'. On Sunday, January 26, three Shiite Bahraini citizens were executed on charges of bombing. Abbas al-Sami, Sami Meshim, and Ali al-Sankis were accused by the court in Bahrain of causing the deaths of two Bahraini police officers and an Emirati officer in a bomb explosion in 2014. The execution of these three individuals marks the first execution in Bahrain in six years since the onset of protests against the government. The majority of Bahrain's population is Shiite, but a Sunni ruling family governs the country. The execution of these individuals has drawn severe criticism from various human rights organizations, with Maya Foa, director of the London-based human rights group 'Reprieve', describing the action as a 'shameful violation of international law'. Bahrain has repeatedly claimed that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps interferes in the island and has prosecuted dozens on charges of collaborating with the IRGC, but the Islamic Republic has denied these accusations. In July, the revocation of the citizenship of Sheikh Isa Qasim, a prominent Shiite cleric, provoked strong protests from Iranian officials. Among them, the leader of the Islamic Republic considered this action a sign of the 'foolishness' of the Bahraini government, and Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, issued an unusually strong statement warning the government of Bahrain about the consequences of this action.