DUBAI: Human Rights Watch yesterday urged Bahrain to repeal laws allowing citizenships of dissidents to be revoked after a court stripped another nine Shias of their nationalities.

“Bahrain should repeal laws that will allow authorities to strip Bahrainis of their nationality on grounds so vague as to be arbitrary,” HRW said.

The New York-based right group’s statement comes after a court on August 6 stripped nine Bahraini men of their citizenships after they were found guilty of “forming a terrorist organisation aimed at smuggling weapons to Bahrain and helping detainees to escape.” The convicts were also jailed for terms ranging from five to 15 years. The ruling marked the first time that a 2013 law which revokes the nationality of those convicted of terrorism was enforced.

AFP