The number citizens stripped of theirnationalities rises to 49 Bahrain Forum for Human Rights: Bahraini authorities are turning the rightto lasting citizenship into a toy in the hands of political decisions Bahrain Forum for Human Rights stated that, “thesecond anniversary of the denationalization of 31 citizens by Bahrainiauthorities, including scholars, prominent parliamentary and political figures,and a number of activists and ordinary people, coinciding with the rise of thenumber of denationalized citizens to 49, affirm that Bahraini government has turnedthe right to lasting citizenship into a toy in the hands of political decisionsthat control the judiciary institution.” The Forum also pointed out that this indicatesthe absence of serious international pressures concerning this issue, which hasbeen condemned by national and international human rights institutions. “The policy of stripping citizens of their nationalityin Bahrain has turned into a tool of severe punishment by which the authorityseeks to terrify citizens in the opposition and take revenge from them forexpressing their opinion,” the Forum added. The forum also stated that, “the 49 denationalizedcitizens based on political and sectarian reasons are included among the “I Belong”campaign launched by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the 60thanniversary of 1954 Convention regarding the Status of Stateless Persons.” It continued, “The denationalized citizens are currentlybeing threatened by forced deportation from the country as the case of SheikhHussein Najati, the representative of the Shiite leader GrandAyatollah Ali Al Sistani. This means that the authority intends to widenand develop this policy against activists and dissent.” “These chilling atrociouspractices clearly reflect the government’s attempt to disavow implementing theBICI and Geneva recommendations,” clarified the Forum. The Forum also stated that, “the judge’s decision denationalizecitizens was contrary to the national and international law, in particular, thenationality law issued in 1963. In addition, the decision clearly violatedarticle 15 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulating that no oneshall be arbitrary deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to changehis nationality. It also violated article 16 of the International Covenant onCivil and Political rights stipulating that everyone shall have the right torecognition everywhere as a person before the law.” At the end, the Forum called on the internationalcommunity and the United Nations to take punitive deterrent measures againstBahraini authorities for violating, to a large extent, the bill of human rightsby these security measures. It also pointed out that maintaining this policy alongwith its resulting threating messages sent to indigenous components of theBahraini society, which also reveals that security and judiciary authorities willcontinue to create new ways to violate human rights. Bahrain Forum for HumanRights
6/11/2014
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