AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The organization "Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain" (ADHRB) stated in a declaration that the Bahraini government continues to use the "right to citizenship" as a punitive tool against its political opponents.
According to ADHRB, the regional developments and war that began in March 2026 have provided a new context for the expansion of this policy, with Bahraini officials employing charges such as "sympathy with Iran" and "praising attacks" to justify their actions.
According to this declaration, the revocation of citizenship of 69 individuals on April 27, 2026, under Article 10/3 of Bahrain's Citizenship Law, has been one of the largest mass citizenship revocations in recent years.
The organization claimed that this measure was carried out through administrative decisions without individuals benefiting from fair trial guarantees and the right to judicial appeal, and its consequences have also affected families and children.
ADHRB also warned of the consequences of these actions for the families of those whose citizenship was revoked, stating that some families and children have been deprived of official documents and access to basic services such as education and healthcare as a result of this process. The organization also called for an end to the policy of revoking the citizenship of family members of opponents and political activists.
This human rights organization also referred to the Bahraini Parliament's action against three representatives, Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdouh al-Saleh, and Mahdi al-Shuwaykh, which, according to the organization, took place on May 7, 2026, after they refused to vote on a proposal regarding removing citizenship cases from judicial oversight.
ADHRB considered this action as restricting parliamentary oversight and reducing the possibility of accountability.
In conclusion, the organization emphasized that invoking national security considerations in wartime conditions does not exempt Bahrain from its obligations under international law.
The organization "Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain," citing Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Human Rights Council Resolution 26/14, called for an end to the use of citizenship as a tool of political repression and full compensation for the families affected.
These criticisms come at a time when the condition of prisons and the treatment of prisoners in Bahrain have also faced widespread criticism from human rights organizations in recent months.
Published reports indicate an intensification of arrests against scholars, preachers, and Shia religious figures, to the extent that human rights organizations in Bahrain have reported in a report the arrest of dozens of clerics and preachers under charges related to terrorism.
There have also been reports of restricted access to family and lawyers for some detainees and mistreatment of a number of imprisoned clerics.
In such circumstances, critics believe that citizenship revocation and mass arrests cannot be examined separately from the overall trend of restricting civil and religious freedoms in Bahrain, a trend in which some scholars, preachers, and activists have faced restrictions and imprisonment on charges that human rights organizations consider vague, political, or lacking fair trial procedures.
Recent reports also indicate the continued pressure on religious and political leaders and figures, and concerns about prison conditions, a matter that has increasingly highlighted the necessity of respecting prisoners' rights, their access to lawyers and family, and their entitlement to a fair trial.
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