Bahrain’s decision to strip dozens of its nationals of citizenship after accusing them of sympathising with Iran during the ongoing Middle East war will leave Shia Muslims with Iranian heritage at risk, a human rights group has warned. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on social media this week the 69 people whose citizenship have been revoked included accused individuals and their family members – an act that critics termed as “collective punishment”. They affected people are all of non-Bahraini origin. The announcement came as the Gulf kingdom continues to navigate the fallout from the regional war triggered after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran in February, and Tehran retaliated across the region. The ministry said: “The Bahraini nationality has been revoked from ​those individuals for glorifying or sympathising with the hostile Iranian acts, ⁠or engaging in contacts with external parties.” Under Bahraini law, a person can be stripped of citizenship if they are deemed to have caused “harm to ​the interests of the Kingdom or acting in a manner that contradicts ​the duty of loyalty to it.”

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