In a sweeping move that has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights advocates, Bahrain’s lower parliamentary body has stripped three elected lawmakers of their seats over a single dissenting vote against a royal order that erodes judicial checks on citizenship revocation decisions. The expulsion comes amid a sweeping domestic security crackdown tied to recent cross-border hostilities linked to the US-Israeli war in the region.
The unanimous vote to revoke the parliamentary memberships of Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdooh al-Saleh and Mahdi al-Shuwaik passed during a Thursday morning sitting of the Council of Representatives. The three legislators were targeted specifically for their opposition votes during an April 28 debate over the two-year-old royal decree, which reclassifies all citizenship-related matters as “sovereign issues” and removes all existing judicial oversight over such decisions. Under the new framework, individuals who have their citizenship revoked lose all right to file legal challenges or appeals against the ruling.
During the initial parliamentary vote on the decree, 33 legislators backed the measure, three were absent, and three abstained, leaving the three dissenters isolated as targets for retaliation. Over the week leading up to the expulsion vote, the three lawmakers faced mounting public criticism, even from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who directly addressed their dissent in rare public remarks that included a veiled threat of deportation. The king accused the trio of siding with “traitors” and demanded they issue a public apology “or to join those they chose to align with, who have left the country or been expelled.”
The king’s reference was to a mass citizenship revocation carried out last month, when Bahraini authorities stripped 69 people of their nationality over unproven allegations of sympathizing with Iran amid regional tensions. The list of those affected includes not only people accused of threatening national security, but also their dependent family members – including minor children – a policy that the expelled lawmakers openly condemned during the April 28 debate.
Speaking in opposition to the royal decree, Abdulnabi Salman argued that independent judicial oversight was a non-negotiable requirement to “achieve justice and a sense of fairness and trust.” He rejected the policy of collective punishment that has accompanied the recent mass revocations, noting “It is true that whoever harms this country must be punished, but punishments must not be collective, God forbid, or be taken as reactions, because the matter relates to the fate, future, and trust of the people in the system and the judiciary.” Mamdooh al-Saleh echoed these concerns, questioning why innocent family members should suffer for the alleged actions of a single relative: “What is the fault of the children and the grandchildren? They may have no guilt; they did not participate in their father’s crime or mistake.”
Human rights campaigners warn the expulsion of the three lawmakers sets a dangerous precedent for political dissent in the kingdom. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, a researcher with the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), called the development deeply worrying. “It sets a dangerous precedent that if you cast a vote in a way perceived by the Bahraini king or government as upsetting, then the consequences on you will be quite harrowing,” Alwadaei told Middle East Eye. “You could even face losing your nationality and being deported.”
Andrew McIntosh, a policy advisor with Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, added that the purge will have devastating long-term impacts on incremental reform efforts in Bahrain. “We’ve seen political movements boycotting elections since 2014, claiming the Council of Representatives has no real power. That sentiment is now growing,” McIntosh explained. “Discontent and deprived of democratic channels to express their grievances and advocate for change, Bahrain is likely to become more polarised and militant. This is the opposite of what the government hopes to achieve.”
The mass citizenship revocation and parliamentary expulsion come against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, after Iran launched a massive drone and missile attack on Gulf states including Bahrain in retaliation for the US-Israeli war that began in late February. The attack left at least three Bahrainis dead and dozens more wounded, from both direct impacts and falling interception debris. In response to the attack, Bahraini authorities launched a sweeping domestic crackdown on suspected dissidents. BIRD has documented more than 200 arrests since the crackdown began, though researchers note the actual number of detentions is likely higher due to unreported enforced disappearances. Arrests have targeted both peaceful protesters and social media users who shared footage of the Iranian attack.
The crackdown has already resulted in one death in custody: 32-year-old Mohamed al-Mosawi, who disappeared along with several friends in the wake of the attack. Photographs of al-Mosawi’s corpse obtained by Middle East Eye show extensive bruising across his face and body, sparking widespread public anger and allegations that he was tortured to death during interrogation. In response to public outcry, Bahraini investigators have charged one intelligence officer with assault in connection with al-Mosawi’s death.
Campaigners also note that many of the 69 people stripped of citizenship last month were never arrested, interrogated, or formally notified of the specific allegations against them, leaving them with no path to contest the decision even before the royal decree stripped judicial oversight. Last week, six regional Arab governments including Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates released joint statements expressing solidarity with Bahrain and backing the kingdom’s recent domestic security measures.