TEHRAN – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has called on the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Inter-parliamentary Union to take prompt action to stop the violation of human rights in Bahrain.

In a telephone conversation with OIC Parliamentary Union President Edward Ssekandi Kiwanuka on Thursday, Larijani expressed deep concern over the gross violation of human rights in Bahrain and called for an emergency session of the union to examine the issue.
“OIC Parliamentary Union should take effective measures to stop inhumane treatment of people in Bahrain,” the senior lawmaker said.
Larijani also criticized the U.S. double-standard approach toward the ongoing developments in the Middle East and North Africa, saying that using violence against people, who are campaigning for change and democracy, torturing women, and demolishing mosques are results of the U.S. policy to retain despotic rulers in the region.
Edward Ssekandi said that the situation in Bahrain is alarming, so the Islamic countries should take action to help resolve the crisis.
“The presence of foreign military forces and the major powers’ intervention will not help settle the complicated situation in Bahrain,” he said. “Foreign powers are only looking after their own interests.”
The OIC Parliamentary Union president also said he is hopeful that Iran’s proposal for an emergency session on Bahrain would be examined soon.
In a separate telephone conversation with Inter-parliamentary Union President Theo-Ben Gurirab on Wednesday, Larijani called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to probe the humanitarian crisis in Bahrain.
“Certain regional countries are aiding and abetting the killing of defenseless people through dispatching military troops and equipment, so the IPU should not remain silent toward these actions,” Larijani said.
Theo-Ben Gurirab expressed deep concern about the critical situation in Bahrain and said that the union is not well-informed about the developments in Bahrain, so it has not been able to put forward a way out of the crisis.
He also welcomed the proposal for the establishment of an unbiased fact-finding committee on Bahrain to impartially assess the situation and provide the union with reliable information based on which it can take appropriate action.