Bahrain Revokes Citizenship of 69 People Accused of Iran Ties During War

Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people on April 27, 2026, accusing them of spying or "glorifying or sympathising" with Iran. Ali, 31, learned of the decision when he saw his name and that of his three-month-old daughter in the news. Authorities called the same day and ordered him to surrender his documents and those of his infant.

Within days, Ali, his wife, and their daughter were required to leave Bahrain for Iran. He attempted to reach the United Kingdom but was denied entry in Oman. He spent weeks in Azerbaijan and Georgia seeking entry to Europe before entering Iran, the destination Bahrain had designated.

Manama justified the revocations under a royal directive against traitors undermining security. " Human Rights Watch and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy stated that all 69 people are Shias of Persian descent, a group that makes up roughly 14 percent of Bahrain's population. The list includes 33 children.

Five of those named were already jailed for reasons including social media posts, espionage, filming, and glorifying Iranian attacks. More than 500 people, mostly Shias, have been arrested since the onset of the Iran war, according to BIRD. Mohamed, 38, said his father's entire lineage of 11 people, including Mohamed's then eleven-month-old daughter, lost citizenship.

He was suspended from his executive job, and his children were called terrorists and traitors at school. Mohamed and two siblings and their families secured a flight to a European country where they are seeking asylum. Mohamed's wife and Ali's wife retained Bahraini citizenship but were ordered to leave or face revocation.

Mohamed said he tried to buy passports through investment schemes costing at least tens of thousands of dollars but was told he needed a nationality first. Authorities stripped judicial oversight from the revocation decisions, meaning they were not required to provide evidence, according to Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch. The people affected have no way to challenge the decisions, she said.