- ARAB NEWS
- 02 May 2024
Since 1975
RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council ministers on Thursday condemned a derogatory statement made by Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman about jail conditions in Bahrain.
Citing the principles of the UN Charter on “good neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of states,” the GCC Ministerial Council called on officials in Iran “to investigate accuracy and not rely on incorrect information.”
The statement was part of a comprehensive one issued by the GCC Ministerial Council at the close of its 57th session in the Saudi capital.
Manama earlier strongly rejected as misleading Iran ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani’s claim that “unfavourable” jail conditions in Bahrain have led to a hunger strike by some 800 prisoners.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded Iran “to be more accurate and not to be misled by false information that harms relations between the two countries.”
Bahrain is part of the six-nation GCC, which also includes Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
A Reuters report quoted Bahrain’s General Directorate of Reform and Rehabilitation (GDRR) as saying that the number of detainees who have reported being on hunger strike had at no time gone beyond 124 and that their complaints were being addressed.
The GDRR said the hunger strikers are provided with access to medical check-ups on a daily basis and none of them have required critical care or hospitalization. “Any claims to the contrary are false,” it said.
Bahrain’s MFA said the National Institution for Human Rights and the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission have conducted unannounced visits to the Reform and Rehabilitation Center to investigate allegations regarding the conditions of inmates.
“They reviewed a number of demands made by some inmates and submitted a detailed report to the relevant authorities,” the ministry said.
In addition to the Bahrain issue, the GCC Ministerial Council statement welcomed the steps taken by Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations.
It reiterated the decisions of the GCC Supreme Council during its 43rd session in December 2022 that with respect to relations with Iran, mutual respect and resolving disputes by peaceful means and direct dialogue, rather than use of or threatening the use of force, must be adhered to.
The Ministerial Council stressed the importance of Iran’s commitment not to exceed the rate of uranium enrichment required for peaceful uses, and the need to fulfill its obligations and fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
It further “stressed the importance of preserving maritime security and waterways in the region, and addressing everything that might threaten the shipping lanes, international trade, and oil installations in the GCC states.”
The GCC and other countries have in the past repeatedly accused Iran of conducting destabilizing acts in the region, including arming militias such as the Houthis in Yemen, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various groups in Iraq. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had also been accused of disrupting commercial shipping in the Arabian Gulf, leading to tensions in the region.
