280 Bahrainis’ Citizenship Revoked since Uprising Began: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) announced that the Manama regime has revoked the nationality of 280 Bahraini citizens on political grounds since the beginning of a popular uprising in the Persian Gulf country in 2011.
Out of the 280 Bahrainis, 200 have been stripped of their citizenship by the Al Khalifa regime in 2015, according to a BCHR official.
He said that among them are university professors, scholars, religious leaders, merchants and former members of parliament.
In its latest attempt to silence voices of dissent, the Bahraini government last month sentenced five nationals to jail terms ranging from 5 to 15 years and deprived them of their citizenship.
Since 1980s, the ruling Al Khalifa regime has been trying to change the Kingdom’s demographic structure which largely consists of Shiites.
Measures have also been taken by Manama to limit the electoral power of the Shiite majority including by granting Bahraini citizenship and the right to vote to 20,000 tribal Sunnis from Saudi Arabia, without having to fulfill the criteria of citizenship.
In November 2014, the Bahrain regime threatened to take away Bahraini nationality from those who refuse to vote in that year’s parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by opposition groups.
Bahrain has been the scene of almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa regime since early 2011, when an uprising began in the country.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others wounded and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful protests.
