TEHRAN- Bahrain has come under growing criticism after authorities expelled three lawmakers from parliament and stripped dozens of citizens of their nationality in what observers and rights advocates describe as an escalating campaign to silence dissent under the guise of national security.

In a controversial move, Bahrain’s Council of Representatives voted on Thursday to revoke the parliamentary memberships of Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdouh al-Saleh, and Mahdi al-Shuwaikh after they opposed a royal decree limiting judicial oversight in citizenship-related cases during an April 28 parliamentary session.

The measure has sparked concern among legal experts and human rights groups, who say the decree effectively removes important judicial safeguards and grants authorities sweeping powers over citizenship decisions without meaningful legal review.

The expulsions came shortly after Manama stripped 69 Bahraini citizens and several of their family members of their nationality, accusing them of supporting Iran during the recent military confrontation involving Iran, the United States, and the Israeli regime. Bahraini authorities claimed the targeted individuals had expressed solidarity with Iran on social media or maintained contact with foreign entities considered hostile to the kingdom.

Rights organizations have warned that the latest measures risk rendering some individuals stateless and constitute a clear violation of international legal standards governing nationality and human rights.

Under international law, including Article 15 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every individual has the right to a nationality and must not be arbitrarily deprived of it. Legal experts argue that revoking citizenship based on political opinion or alleged ideological sympathy violates internationally recognized principles of due process, freedom of expression, and protection against arbitrary punishment.

The crackdown has also drawn strong condemnation from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denounced Bahrain’s decision as a “gross violation of human rights,” accusing Manama of using baseless accusations to punish citizens for their political views.

Baqaei said the Bahraini government was targeting individuals merely for expressing opposition to US and Israeli military actions against Iran, stressing that stripping citizens of their nationality for political reasons contravenes international human rights norms and fundamental freedoms.

Human rights advocates say Bahrain has increasingly relied on citizenship revocation as a political tool over the past decade, particularly against opposition figures, clerics, activists, and critics of the ruling establishment. Hundreds of Bahrainis reportedly lost their nationality between 2012 and 2019 in measures widely condemned by international watchdogs.

Analysts believe the removal of sitting lawmakers for opposing a royal decree signals a further narrowing of political space in the kingdom and reflects growing intolerance toward dissenting voices, even within official institutions.

Critics also point to Bahrain’s close alignment with Washington and its hosting of the US Fifth Fleet as factors shaping the kingdom’s hardline security policies amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf.