BEIRUT // Hizbollah has denied Bahraini government allegations that the group provided military training to Bahrain's opposition or that their members have been involved in the protests on the island.
The Shiite movement based in Lebanon said yesterday that the "false accusations" were aimed at misleading "the public about the peaceful movement of the oppressed Bahraini people".
"None of the Bahraini brothers requested any kind of military or security training at any time and we ourselves did not carry out any of this kind of training for anyone in Bahrain," Hizbollah said in a statement.
The comments came after an interview with the London-based Al Hayat newspaper on Wednesday, in which Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, reiterated the government's claim that Hizbollah had provided training to groups protesting in Bahrain.
The kingdom has been rocked by more than a month of protests and violent government clampdowns on demonstrators demanding major political reforms. A state of emergency was imposed in mid-March before security forces cleared the protest site at Pearl Roundabout.
The Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that 24 people, mostly civilians and individuals identified as protesters, had been killed since the violence broke out on February 14.
Sheikh Khaled accused Hizbollah of providing members of the Bahraini opposition with training in Lebanon, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency, adding that the government possesses evidence to support such claims.
Hizbollah has insisted that the only support they have provided to the protesters has been "moral and political".
"There are no Lebanese cadres belonging to Hizbollah in Bahrain and Hizbollah has no cells whatsoever in Bahrain, not Bahraini nor from any other nationalities," the group said in the statement.
"We call upon the Bahraini government to stop this campaign against the people and to sincerely listen and respond to the legitimate demands of the oppressed Bahraini people."
The government has repeatedly charged that Iran, as well as Hizbollah, have been meddling in Bahrain's internal affairs. Sheikh Khaled reiterated these claims in the interview with Al Hayat, saying that there is "no mediation" between Iran and Bahrain. The countries recalled their respective ambassadors from Tehran and Manama last month.
However, "Bahrain will always be a neighbour and brother to Iran. We can't do without each other," the foreign minister was quoted as saying.
Tehran has been critical of the Bahraini government's use of force and its request for troops from other Gulf countries to help quell the violence.
Similarly, in a speech on March 19, the Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah pledged to support the opposition movement.
After his speech, the Bahraini government accused the group of "blatant interference". On March 22, the foreign ministry issued a statement advising Bahrainis against travel to Lebanon, warning of "terror threats", while urging citizens living in Lebanon to leave.
Last month, Bahrain's main carrier, Gulf Air, suspended flights to Iran and Iraq. Gulf Air and Bahrain Air also called off flights to Lebanon.
On Wednesday, a coalition of seven opposition groups again called for renewed efforts to resolve the country's crisis, and denied foreign involvement in the pro-reform movement.
"The societies condemn attempts by the authorities to link people's demands to foreign sources," said a statement issued by the groups, including Al Wefaq, the main opposition party. "Needless to say, the protests demanding political rights, notably freedom and living in dignity, are categorically Bahraini in nature, though shared all over the world."
Sheikh Ali Salem, the head of Al Wefaq, urged Iran to refrain from involvement in Bahrain's domestic issues.
"We urge Iran not to meddle in Bahraini internal affairs," he told a press conference on Wednesday, while repeating a call for the withdrawal of the Saudi-led Gulf troops, which includes an Emirati contingent.
"We demand Saudi Arabia withdraw the Peninsula Shield forces. We do not want Bahrain to turn into a battlefield for Saudi Arabia and Iran."
Sheikh Salman said Al Wefaq believes there are now 304 political detainees in Bahraini jails, including 11 women. A further 24 people are unaccounted for.
