Bahraini Activists Lose Citizenship, Bombing Suspects Arrested

Photo Credit: EPA/Mazen Mahdi

Bahrain’s government revoked the citizenship of 31 activists, clerics and human rights lawyers, including dissidents Saeed al-Shehabi and Ali Mushaima. The interior ministry cited the country’s Citizenship Act, which “allows the kingdom the right to revoke the citizenship of anyone who is charged with being a threat to the state’s security,” while Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid al-Khalifah asserted “repeated abuse” of the rights to freedom of speech and expression can no longer be accepted. Matar Matar, a former MP and leading al-Wefaq party member, proclaimed “many named (on the list) were acquitted by a military court” after being charged with harming state security.  U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed concern, but said “it is our understanding that decisions of this kind, like the citizen revocation, can be appealed in the administrative courts, so we want to see that process proceed transparently.”

Meanwhile, Bahrain arrested four suspects linked to a bombing that killed two people earlier this week. Minister of Information, Samira Ibrahim bin Rajab, said the bombings “bear the hallmarks of the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” rejecting claims that the government planted the bombs to justify a state of emergency. Major General Tariq al-Hassan, Chief of Public Security, stated that the four were arrested following an “intensive investigation,” but stated the arrests do “not conclude our investigation.”