More than 570 people have had their Bahraini nationality revoked over the last six years, around 150 of those in 2017 alone. The country has just over 650,000 citizens. The majority of those targeted are rendered stateless, and are ultimately deported to Iraq, Lebanon or Iran.

“Once the government witnessed the so-called Arab Spring, it got scared so it put all the defendants in jail, all the people reporting human rights violations. It’s a scandal, this country. All defendants should be released if the UAE wants to be compatible with its public proclamations towards international relations.”