Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship over alleged sympathy with Iranian attacks

Manama: Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 people, saying the move was linked to what the kingdom described as sympathy for Iran’s hostile acts and contact with foreign parties, according to a statement issued by the interior ministry.

The ministry said those affected included accused individuals as well as their family members, and added that all of them were of non-Bahraini origin.

“The Bahraini nationality has been revoked from those individuals for glorifying or sympathising with the hostile Iranian acts, or engaging in contacts with external parties”, the ministry said.

According to the statement, the decision was taken under royal directives issued by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and was based on Article 10/3 of the Bahraini Nationality Law. The provision allows citizenship to be withdrawn in cases involving “causing harm to the interests of the kingdom or acting in a manner that contradicts the duty of loyalty to it”.

The interior ministry also said the relevant authorities were still reviewing and assessing who qualifies for Bahraini citizenship.

Rights group criticises decision

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), criticised the measure and described it as “the beginning of a dangerous era of repression.”. He also said the decisions were “imposed without legal safeguards or any right of appeal.”

BIRD said this was the first time Bahrain had revoked citizenship since 2019. The group added that between 2012 and 2019, the country withdrew the nationality of at least 990 people.

The latest action comes after Iran fired at targets in Bahrain and other Gulf Arab states hosting United States military bases following the war launched against Iran by the US and Israel on February 28.

Bahrain’s Global Communication Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the case and BIRD’s statement.

The interior ministry’s statement did not provide further details about the identities of the 69 people beyond saying they included accused persons and their family members. It also did not elaborate in the statement on the specific acts attributed to each individual, but said the revocations were tied to glorifying or sympathising with Iranian attacks and maintaining contacts with external entities.

The development marks a renewed use of citizenship revocation powers in Bahrain after several years, according to BIRD’s account. The rights organisation linked the latest move to a broader pattern of past nationality withdrawals in the kingdom, while Bahraini authorities framed the decision as one taken under existing law and royal direction.