AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The AhlulBayt World Assembly has reacted to the revocation of citizenship of a number of Bahraini citizens by the Al Khalifa regime and the intensification of restrictions against the followers of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) in the region, issuing a statement strongly condemning these actions.
In its statement, the Assembly emphasized that the silence or minimal action of the international community in the face of this dangerous practice will further embolden repressive regimes to openly violate citizenship rights and promote collective punishment in the region.
The text of this statement is as follows:
The AhlulBayt World Assembly, expressing deep concern and in the strongest terms, condemns the illegal, arbitrary, and human rights-violating action of the Bahraini government in revoking the citizenship of 69 of its citizens, as well as the arrest of a number of prominent scholars in that country and the removal of three members of parliament. According to verified reports, among these individuals are clerics, eulogists, social activists, women, men, and even children and infants who, without any judicial formalities, without legal investigations, and outside the jurisdiction of the judiciary, solely based on the order of the King of Bahrain, have been deprived of their natural right to citizenship. This action is a clear instance of "collective condemnations" and "extrajudicial punishment" which is unacceptable in any civilized legal system.
From the perspective of international law, the right to citizenship is considered one of the most fundamental rights of every individual. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reflects customary international law, explicitly states, "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality." The Bahraini government's action in stripping individuals of their citizenship without a fair trial and without distinction between the accused and their family members (especially children and infants who played no role in the alleged charges) is a clear violation of the country's international obligations under Article 24, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The inclusion of infants in this decision not only conflicts with human rights standards but also constitutes "forced revocation of citizenship" and "collective punishment," which is strongly prohibited by UN monitoring bodies.
The AhlulBayt World Assembly emphasizes that the repeated and baseless accusations of "supporting Iran" or "spying for foreign institutions" are merely a pretext to suppress opponents and systematically violate citizenship rights in Bahrain. Such a repressive approach recalls the inhumane practices of totalitarian systems and completely undermines the credibility of any claim to the rule of law in Bahrain. This action also violates the principle of non-discrimination and the principle of proportionality in the application of punishments, as depriving children and infants of citizenship bears no relation to the political charges attributed to their parents.
The AhlulBayt World Assembly calls upon all UN human rights monitoring bodies, particularly the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and also upon senior religious authorities and prominent scholars, to formally and immediately condemn this inhumane and illegal action, demand that the Bahraini government restore the citizenship of all the aforementioned individuals (especially children and infants) without any delay, and declare that no one in Bahrain should be deprived of their natural right to citizenship due to family ties or political beliefs. The silence or minimal action of the international community in the face of this dangerous practice will further embolden repressive regimes to openly violate citizenship rights and promote collective punishment in the region.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, while declaring solidarity with the affected families and unequivocally condemning this anti-human act, warns of the dangerous consequences of the spread of such practices and emphasizes the need for all countries to adhere to human rights standards and prohibit arbitrary deprivation of nationality.
It is worth noting that following the attack by the United States and the Zionist regime on the Islamic Republic of Iran and the beginning of the third imposed war, with the cooperation of the subservient rulers and American colonies in the region, at the peak of their disgrace and frustration and for fear of the collapse of their thrones and shaky dominance, they imposed unprecedented restrictions and pressures on the crime of Shia Muslims sympathizing with the dear Iranian nation in their grief over the loss of their great Leader. To instill fear among Shia Muslims, they have prosecuted, arrested, revoked the citizenship, and expelled from the country even those who used the Quranic Verse of Return on their phone profiles or in their messages.
The AhlulBayt World Assembly
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