Bahrain revoked citizenship from 69 individuals accused of being sympathetic to Iran.
The government said they were guilty of “glorifying or sympathizing” with Iranian attacks on Bahrain, or engaging with unnamed “external parties.” The group includes both individuals accused of being disloyal and their dependents.
Countries across the Gulf have arrested scores of people during the war, on charges ranging from posting images of wartime damage, to planning terrorist attacks with Iran. However, this is the first known instance of citizenship being stripped from a large number of people. The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said it heralded “a dangerous era of repression,” saying those affected had no right of appeal.
More revocations are expected, with the government saying they will continue to review “those who merit the honor of Bahraini nationality and those who do not.” Earlier today, a Bahraini court also handed down life sentences to five defendants accused of collaborating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including three citizens and two Afghan nationals.