In another of a series of disturbing crackdowns on civil society in Bahrain, Abaas Abusafwan from the Bahrain Center for Studies in London and Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), along with many others, were stripped of their citizenship by the Bahraini government.
A full list of names and charges can be found HERE.
The PEN American Center and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released statements calling for the immediate reinstatement of nationality for writers stripped of their citizenship as well as to "allow Bahraini people their fundamental right to receive, share, and debate a wide range of information," as stated by Sherif Mansour of CPJ.
BIRD also issued a general statement condemning the actions of the government and holding it in direct violation of Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Bahrain has ratified, and which states "no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality."
The World Movement for Democracy will continue to monitor closely civil society developments in Bahrain, and demands an immediate cessation of the Bahraini authorities' deliberate campaign to intimidate and arrest human rights activists in the country.
[ Democracy Alerts ]