BFHR: Statements by the King of Bahrain Open the Door to Serious Violations of Citizens’ Right to Nationality

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR), a member of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, condemned statements issued by the King of Bahrain. These statements pave the way for expanding the use of citizenship revocation as a punitive measure against citizens based on their political positions, under broad and legally undefined labels such as “treason” and “undermining security and stability.”

BFHR stressed that such directions, issued at this level, reflect a highly dangerous trend toward undermining the foundations of the rule of law. They open the door to legitimizing expanded arbitrariness under the guise of security, representing a more advanced version of the practices seen in previous years, when citizenship was revoked from more than 850 citizens.

Citizenship is not a tool in the hands of the authorities to be granted or withdrawn based on political considerations; rather, it is an established legal right that must not be infringed. Accordingly, any directive related to “determining who deserves citizenship” outside the framework of an independent judiciary constitutes a direct violation of the essence of a state governed by law, and establishes an approach based on the ruler’s discretionary judgment rather than the rule of law.

BFHR firmly rejects the use of vague and broad concepts to justify measures that affect individuals’ legal existence. This is considered a clear prelude to using citizenship revocation as a means of political punishment and exclusion, in explicit violation of international standards that prohibit arbitrary deprivation of nationality.

BFHR emphasizes that these directions:
•    Constitute a direct breach of Bahrain’s international obligations. 
•    Expose individuals to the risk of statelessness and the serious violations that follow. 
•    Undermine fair trial guarantees and weaken judicial independence. 
•    Create a climate of intimidation and negatively affect social stability. 

Linking citizenship to measures of loyalty or to security assessments not subject to independent judicial oversight represents a clear undermining of the principle of equality before the law. It establishes a dangerous pattern in which rights are stripped on arbitrary, non-legal grounds in a broad and collective manner.
Accordingly, BFHR affirms the following:
•    Its categorical rejection of any directives or measures aimed at revoking citizens’ nationality. 
•    The need to immediately halt this approach and ensure it does not become public policy.
•    The obligation of the authorities to fully comply with international standards prohibiting arbitrary deprivation of nationality. 
•    The need to ensure that all decisions related to nationality are subject to independent and effective judicial oversight. 
A state that turns nationality into a tool of punishment places itself in direct confrontation with the principles of justice and human rights.