Bahrain 'must stop targeting dissidents'

Bahrain 'must stop targeting dissidents'
Amnesty International has called on the authorities in Bahrain to restore citizenship to the dozens of dissidents stripped of their nationality, and to stop targeting activists and dissidents in the country.
3 min read
05 February, 2015
Bahrain has been wracked by unrest since 2011. [AFP]

Amnesty International urged Bahrain to restore the citizenship of dozens of dissidents stripped of their nationality in a government decree that handed them the same punishment as suspected IS fighters.

The London based rights watchdog said that last Saturday's decision had treated peaceful activists in the same way as Bahrainis suspected of travelling to Iraq or Syria to fight for so called Islamic State (IS).

On 31 January, the Ministry of Interior issued a statement that it had withdrawn the Bahraini nationality of 72 individuals involved in “illegal acts”. They included former MPs, doctors, human rights activists and political opponents who have been forced to live abroad because of their anti-government activities.

In a move described by Amnesty as ‘worrying, the authorities in Manama have put the names of a number of known Bahraini human rights and political activists on the same list as other Bahrainis who have been alleged IS fighters.

Over the past years, the Bahraini authorities have increasingly used vague wordings to imprison individuals for peacefully expressing their views or for calling for regime change in an attempt to tighten the screw on activists. Many of the activists on the Ministry of Interior’s list were forced out of the country as a result of judicial harassment or for fear of prosecution, Amnesty said in a statement.  

The Ministry’s statement cited as “illegal acts” a number of terrorism-related offences. However, it also included acts such as “inciting and advocating regime change through illegal means”, “defaming brotherly countries” and “defaming the image of the regime, inciting against the regime and spreading false news to hinder the rules of the constitution. 

Amnesty says that some of the alleged acts may if proven constitute crimes, some are acts the punishment of which is contrary to international human rights law, and the vagueness of the charges themselves makes it difficult to distinguish between a criminal act and exercising one’s right to freedom of expression.  

"The authorities have put the names of a number of known Bahraini human rights and political activists on the same list as other Bahrainis who have been alleged IS fighters," Amnesty added.  

The London based organization stressed that any move that risked leaving a person stateless should be taken only after due legal process and within the strict limits set by international conventions.   

Bahrain's Information Minister Isa Abdulrahman al-Hammadi has said that most of those targeted "are abroad and can challenge the decision legally".  

Over the past years, the Bahraini authorities have increasingly used vague wordings to imprison individuals for peacefully expressing their views or for calling for regime change in an attempt to tighten the screw on activists. Many of the activists on the Ministry of Interior’s list were forced out of the country as a result of judicial harassment or for fear of prosecution.  

The Sunni-ruled but Shia-majority Gulf state has been wracked by unrest since Shia-led protests for parliamentary government and a constitutional monarchy were bloodily crushed in 2011.  

The kingdom's main opposition group, Al-Wefaq, has said that most of those stripped of their citizenship, around 50 were dissidents living in exile.  

The Committee to Protect Journalists said the list also included at least four journalists  all of whom were "forced into exile because of legal threats." 

"Bahraini journalists who dare to express critical views already face serious risks, including legal action and imprisonment. Now Bahrain is punishing them by taking away what they value most," it said. 

It is not the first time that Bahrain has used counter-terrorism powers to strip dissidents of their citizenship but last week's decision targeted the largest number so far.