Bahrain Arrests 41 Citizens Including Shia Clerics Over Alleged IRGC Ties

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on Saturday the arrest of 41 citizens, including multiple Shia religious leaders. The ministry said security services uncovered the alleged network through investigations, security reports, and previous Public Prosecution cases related to espionage involving foreign entities.

The detainees are accused of espionage involving foreign entities and sympathy with Iranian aggression. Around 30 Shia Muslim clerics were among those arrested. The Gulf monarchy has carried out a series of raids and arrests that have predominantly targeted Shia religious figures and seminary teachers.

Officials stated that legal proceedings are now underway against the 41 detainees.

Earlier this week, the Bahraini House of Representatives revoked the memberships of three lawmakers after they publicly criticized the monarchy’s crackdown on dissent. The three had opposed the revocation of citizenship of 69 Bahrainis and their families, which authorities linked to alleged sympathy with Iran.

That citizenship decision came less than two weeks after officials revoked the citizenship of the same group of 69 people over alleged support for Iranian retaliatory attacks. Bahrain has a majority Shia population but is ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa royal family.

The kingdom hosts the largest U.S. naval base in the region, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Escalation Since Late February Since the launch of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, Bahrain has escalated a domestic crackdown tied to alleged support for Tehran and opposition to the country’s western alignments. Authorities have arrested hundreds of people during this period, targeting Shia communities, banning public gatherings, detaining activists, and jailing dissidents.

In March, Bahraini authorities tortured Shia activist Mohammad al-Mousawi to death after accusing him of being an Iranian spy. AP cited witnesses who described signs of beatings, cable whippings, and electrocution burns on his body.