Bahrain Revokes Citizenship of 69 Over Alleged Iran Support
Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced on Monday that it had revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals, including dependents, for their alleged support of Iran. The ministry stated that those affected "were found to have supported hostile Iranian acts, including colluding with foreign entities." The individuals were described as being of non-Bahraini origin, and the revocation was carried out under Article 10/3 of the Bahraini Nationality Law, which allows citizenship to be stripped in cases of "causing harm to the interests of the Kingdom or acting in a manner that contradicts the duty of loyalty to it."
The decision follows weeks of Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf states, including Bahrain, which began in late February after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. Iran's retaliatory strikes reportedly damaged US military sites in the region, including a Navy base in Bahrain.
Rights Groups Condemn the Move
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Advocacy Director at the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), condemned the revocation, calling it "the beginning of a dangerous era of repression" and stating that the decisions were "imposed without legal safeguards or any right of appeal." BIRD said this was the first such revocation since 2019, and that between 2012 and 2019, Bahrain revoked citizenship of at least 990 nationals. The group also noted it was unclear whether those affected had been arrested, whether they were inside or outside the country, or whether they held other nationalities.
Human Rights Watch last month expressed alarm over the arrests of "dozens of people" in the region since the start of the Middle East war.
Separate Life Sentences for Plotting with Iran
In a related development, Bahrain's High Criminal Court sentenced two Afghans and three Bahrainis to life in prison for plotting "terrorist and hostile acts" with Iran. A fourth Bahraini was acquitted. The public prosecution said the defendants were accused of monitoring and photographing "vital facilities" for Iran. The prosecution is considering appealing the acquittal of a sixth defendant.
The court's statement emphasized that "communicating with hostile foreign entities against the Kingdom of Bahrain is considered one of the most serious crimes affecting national security."
Broader Context
The citizenship revocations come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf. Iran launched waves of missiles and drones against Gulf states, including Bahrain, in response to US and Israeli strikes. The ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, which took effect on April 9, has temporarily halted attacks, but negotiations to end the war are ongoing.
Jawad Fairooz, a former Bahraini parliamentarian who lost his citizenship in 2012, told DW that he fears more Bahrainis could face the same fate. He noted that those stripped of citizenship are mostly Shia, while those given citizenship are mostly Sunni, a demographic trend he says has long been underway.