Bahrain opposition slams citizenship revocations

Bahraini opposition forces have condemned the decision of authorities to strip 72 natives of their citizenship, saying that most of those whose citizenship had been revoked were dissidents.

"There are 50 people who lost their citizenship as punishment for annoying the government by practising politics," five local opposition groups, including Al Wefaq - the country's largest opposition society - said in a joint statement early Sunday.

A day earlier, Bahraini authorities revoked the citizenship of the 72 nationals, saying the latter had committed acts that harmed their country's interests.

"The ruler of Bahrain revoked my citizenship today without a court, any charges or clear evidence of why," British-based Bahraini blogger and activist Ali Abdulemam wrote on Twitter. 

Opposition forces said the government action largely targeted activists who had campaigned for democratic transition in the Gulf state.

They said that most of those whose citizenship was revoked were active dissidents who had been forced to flee the country and continue to campaign from abroad for political freedoms in Bahrain.

Saturday's decision, they said, raises the number of Bahrainis who have lost their citizenship to 115, including Sunnis and Shiites, and armed fighters in foreign countries as well as political and human rights activists.

The Bahraini Interior Ministry said it had suggested depriving these people of their nationalities to protect Bahrain's security and stability and fight "terrorist threats".

Bahrain's nationality law allows the authorities to revoke citizenships of natives who commit acts that "harm Bahrain's national security".

In November 2012, the Interior Ministry revoked the citizenship of 31 nationals after accusing them of posing threats to the country's security.

Bahrain has been suffering political turmoil since 2011. The government accuses Iran of backing a Shiite uprising in the Gulf state.