Bahrain has stripped 69 individuals of their citizenship for allegedly sympathizing with Iran during the ongoing Middle East war.
The Bahraini Interior Ministry announced the revocation via social media. They claim these individuals glorified or sympathized with hostile Iranian acts.
This action reflects a broader pattern. The Bahraini government has revoked citizenship from at least 990 nationals between 2012 and 2019, often during periods of political tension.
The Bahraini Citizenship Act of 1963 grants the government broad powers to revoke citizenship on national security grounds. The law was amended in 2014 to include revocation for actions damaging to the kingdom’s interests.
As of April 10, 2026, at least 286 people have been detained since the start of the war. The consequences of losing citizenship can be severe, including statelessness and loss of access to public services.
Human rights groups criticize the revocations as politically motivated punishments. Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy stated, “Bahrain is using the regional conflict as a pretext to both eliminate dissent and to define who is considered Bahraini.”
The Interior Ministry justified their actions, stating, “The Bahraini nationality has been revoked from those individuals for glorifying or sympathising with the hostile Iranian acts, or engaging in contacts with external parties.”
This crackdown on dissent raises serious concerns about human rights violations in Bahrain. Many fear that this trend will continue as regional conflicts persist.
