Citizenship

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on April 30, 2026 that it has stripped 69 individuals of their citizenship for allegedly sympathizing with Iran amid the ongoing Middle East war. This move represents a significant escalation in the government’s crackdown on dissent.

The Bahraini government claims that the revocations are legal measures under the Bahraini Citizenship Act, citing national security concerns. The law grants broad powers to revoke citizenship, particularly in times of political tension. Since 2012, Bahrain has revoked citizenship from at least 990 nationals, with spikes in such actions during periods of unrest.

Bahraini officials stated, “The Bahraini nationality has been revoked from those individuals for glorifying or sympathising with the hostile Iranian acts, or engaging in contacts with external parties.”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 justification aligns with historical patterns where citizenship revocations disproportionately affect Shia Muslims and those with Iranian heritage.

Human rights groups view this latest action as politically motivated punishment. Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) remarked, “Bahrain is using the regional conflict as a pretext to both eliminate dissent and to define who is considered Bahraini.” He further noted that in repressive regimes, existing laws are often manipulated to serve the ruling party’s interests.

Consequences of losing citizenship can be dire. Individuals often find themselves stateless and cut off from essential public services. As of April 10, 2026, at least 286 people have been detained since the beginning of the war, reflecting a broader trend of increasing repression.

The revocation of citizenship is not an isolated incident but part of a systemic issue within Bahrain’s approach to governance and dissent suppression.