Bahrain Court Strips Convicts 9 Activists from Citizenship

Local Editor

Courts in Bahrain have revoked the nationalities of 9 citizens, on a political basis. The 9 individuals were among 13 to have recently been handed sentences of 5, 7, 10 and 15 years in prisons.

Lawyer Reem Khalaf, who represented some of those on trial, said the defendants were convicted and sentenced on charges that "included participation in an illegal organization and having ties to Iran."

Some also faced weapons and explosives possession charges.

They received prison terms ranging from seven to 22 years, she said. They plan to appeal the verdicts.

Al-Wefaq National Opposition group considered the rulings void and an unacceptable violation of fundamental human rights. The ruling demonstrates the clear relationship between the judicial system to the regime, thereby implying an urgent need for a fully independent and impartial judiciary.

Al-Wefaq stressed that the court's ruling to revoke nationalities of citizens is a serious violation and an exploitation of the judiciary to implement the agenda of the Authority. "Such arbitrary measures, which started with the revocation of 31 citizens in 2012, are a clear infringement of international law, principles and fundamental human rights."

This ruling is an explicit recantation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Bahrain has been a signatory to since 2006. It is also a clear infringement of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and a perverse exploitation of power.

Al-Wefaq stressed that the United Nations is directly requested to follow these cases and put an end to such explicit infringements of UN conventions and declarations of which Bahrain is part.
The authoritarian and unelected regime in Bahrain is misusing power to retaliate against its dissidents.

Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him" and Article 15 states, "Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team