Bahrain jails 8 Shia nationals, revokes citizenship

A Bahraini court has sentenced six Shia nationals to life in prison and two others to 15 years in jail, while stripping all of them of their citizenship as the Manama regime intensifies its suppression of dissent.

A judicial source said on Wednesday the eight were all convicted of alleged "spying" for Iran as well as "joining a terrorist group, possessing arms, ammunition and explosives," and training in their use.

The kingdom has revoked the nationality of at least 261 Bahrainis since 2012, according to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), a non-profit non-governmental organization.

The citizenship of Bahrain’s leading Shia cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, was revoked on June 20, with the Interior Ministry accusing him of seeking the “creation of a sectarian environment” through his connections with foreign powers. 

The move against Sheikh Qassim came less than a week after the Justice Ministry suspended all activities of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the main opposition group in the country.

The kingdom also dissolved two other opposition groups, namely the al-Tawiya and al-Risala Islamic associations.

The developments have raised fears of further unrest in the tiny Persian Gulf country, which has been witnessing regular anti-regime demonstrations since mid-February 2011.

The Al Khalifah regime is engaged in a harsh crackdown on dissent and widespread discrimination against the country’s Shia majority. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others injured or arrested in the island state, which is a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region.

Bahraini activist back in jail

In another development on Wednesday, Bahrain’s prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab (pictured below), was returned to prison from hospital despite his worsening health condition.

Rajab, who heads the BCHR, was taken to hospital on Tuesday with heart problems after two weeks in solitary confinement.

However, Jalila al-Sayed, Rajab's lawyer, said her client was returned to jail while "his situation is getting worse and is not stable at all."

The lawyer further noted that the activist was due to appear before prosecutors later on Wednesday for a decision on whether his custody would be extended, adding that he is likely to face trial on July 12 on charges "probably related to tweets."

Meanwhile, the BCHR issued a statement expressing "great concern for the health and well-being" of Rajab, urging the "international community and Bahrain's allies to take urgent and public actions to stand by their commitment to protect human rights defenders."

The rights organization blamed Rajab’s deteriorating health condition on “his isolated detention since his arrest."

Rajab, an internationally-respected figure, has been repeatedly detained for organizing anti-regime demonstrations and publishing tweets deemed insulting to the Bahraini authorities.

He has played a major role in leading the popular protests in the country over the past five years.

The 51-year-old activist, who had been pardoned for health reasons last year, was rearrested earlier this month.

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