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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Namita Singh

Campaigners issue warning after Bahrain strips citizenships of Iran ‘sympathisers’

  • Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced the revocation of citizenship for 69 individuals, including family members, accusing them of 'glorifying or sympathising with hostile Iranian acts' or 'engaging in contacts with external parties' during the ongoing Middle East war.
  • The decision, which critics label 'collective punishment', targets individuals of non-Bahraini origin and was made under Bahraini Nationality Law, following royal directives from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
  • The London-based human rights group, Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), described the move as 'politically motivated punishments dressed up as national security measures', warning it leaves Shia Muslims with Iranian heritage at risk.
  • Bird's director, Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, stated that many on the list are being 'targeted only for their identities' and that such revocations disproportionately affect Shia Muslims, often leading to statelessness, loss of rights, and forced deportation.
  • Bahrain's National Communication Centre defended the action as a 'sovereign legal measure' against those threatening national security, denying discrimination and asserting that individuals supported 'Iranian illegal and hostile acts'.

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