Bahrain strips 69 of citizenship in ‘collective punishment’, opposition says
Shafaq News- Manama
Bahrain’s stripping of citizenship from 69 people amounts to “collective punishment” carried out on accusations of “sympathizing with and glorifying Iranian hostile acts,” opposition group Al-Wefaq stated on Tuesday.
In the official statement, the Bahraini Interior Ministry said those included in the process "were found to have supported hostile Iranian acts, including colluding with foreign entities".
Bahraini citizenship revoked from 69 peoplehttps://t.co/nhNTnajoh0
— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) April 27, 2026
The Al-Wefaq said the measures targeted clerics, professionals, men and women, and extended to children through family dependency, effectively stripping entire families of nationality and removing them from the civil registry, stressing that those affected had not been detained or tried, rendering the penalties “arbitrary” and without legal basis.
It described the decisions as unconstitutional and in violation of Bahrain’s international obligations, and “would deepen political divisions and worsen human rights conditions.”
الوفاق: السلطة في البحرين تسلب جنسية 69 مواطناً في قرارات جائرة وغير إنسانية وبدون تهم وبعقاب جماعي #الوفاق #البحرين #bahrain أقدم النظام في البحرين على استلاب جنسيات 69 مواطناً بينهم علماء دين ومنشدون وقوى مهنية واجتماعية من رجال ونساء ومن مختلف الأعمار وبينهم أطفال بعد… pic.twitter.com/a0mpU5tkRu
— Alwefaq Society (@ALWEFAQ) April 28, 2026
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) described the move as the first mass citizenship revocation since 2019, noting that the status of those affected remains unclear —whether they have been arrested, whether they are inside or outside the country, and whether they hold other nationalities.
Bahrain has in the past stripped citizenship from hundreds of people, often citing national security concerns and alleged links to foreign actors, including Iran, which denies the accusations. The latest measures come amid heightened regional tensions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Bahrain, a close US ally that hosts the US Fifth Fleet, aligned with Washington’s regional posture.
