Iran rebukes Bahrain’s revocation of citizenship over trumped-up charges 

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has categorically denounced Bahraini authorities for a decision to strip citizenship of dozens of nationals over "glorifying Iranian retaliatory operations" and "sympathizing with" the Islamic Republic amid the US-Israeli war of aggression.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, in a statement released on Wednesday evening, condemned the Al Khalifah regime's inhumane punishment of the noble Bahraini nation, stating that the measure is in a flagrant violation of human rights, and a sign of Bahraini officials' discriminatory behavior against the nation.

He said the Al Khalifah regime cannot deviate the Bahraini and regional public opinions from its direct responsibility and support for, besides involvement in, the US-Israeli onslaught against Iranians through psychological warfare.

On April 27, the Bahraini Interior Ministry said the Persian Gulf kingdom had revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals and their families for "expressing support for Iran (retaliatory) attacks" against US and Israeli military assets across West Asia amid the war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The ministry said in a statement that the individuals also published posts on social media platforms "glorifying and sympathizing with" regional resistance movements.

The statement claimed that those stripped of citizenship "undermined the national security by publication of contents online, which caused instability and jeopardized public order."

In March, a Bahraini opposition group said the Al Khalifah regime had tortured a young man to death as they were seeking to draw a confession from him against Iran.

The al-Wefaq Society said in a statement at the time that regime forces stopped Sayyed Mohammed al-Moussawi alongside a number of other youths at a security checkpoint in al-Muharraq island, and took them away to an unknown location without providing any clear reason for the measure.

While Moussawi's family had no information whatsoever about his whereabouts, they were shocked as they received his dead body with signs of torture a few days later.

The Al Khalifah regime, which has long been persecuting Shia Muslims and pro-democracy activists in Bahrain, has stepped up its repressive measures since the start of the illegal US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.

The Bahraini security and legal apparatus has clamped down on young protesters under the false pretexts of spying for Iran, and has named some of them as alleged members of anti-government groups linked to Tehran.

According to informed sources familiar with the matter, Bahraini officials have abducted some 200 individuals on trumped-up charges of spying for Iran since the war began.

Bahraini authorities have described Iranian missile and drone operations against US interests in the country as an attack on their sovereignty, and have adopted the toughest position among members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) against Tehran.

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