Bahrain’s King Hamad Orders The Reinstatement of Citizenship For 551 Convicts

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa order the reinstatement of the citizenship of 551 convicts, Bahrain News Agency reported. King Hamad reportedly also instructed the minister of interior to prepare a list of other people that will have their citizenship restored. Last week, Bahrain jailed and canceled the citizenship of 138 nationals that allegedly plotted to form a “terror” group, similar to Hizbullah, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Amnesty International described that move as “outrageous” and a sign of Manama’s growing authoritarianism. Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Shiite-majority Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy, has imprisoned or expelled hundreds of opponents with connections to arch-foe Tehran.