Iranian Speaker's Advisor Blasts Nationality Revocation of Bahrain's Senior Cleric

Rasa - Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian strongly blasted the revoking of nationality of Bahrain's senior cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim and confirming one-year jail term against him.

News ID: 436163

Date: 31 January 2018 - 05:05

RNA -  “The nationality of Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim was revoked by a so-called king order, which begs the question that which ‘court ruling’ Bahrain’s Supreme Court has now confirmed,” Amir-Abdollahian wrote in an Arabic-language tweet.

Amir Abdollahian wrote in reaction to the Bahraini court’s upholding of a one-year jail term for prominent Shiite cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, who has been stripped of his nationality by the Al Khalifah regime. The court has also confirmed the decision to revoke the cleric's citizenship.

The Iranian official went on to criticize the current state of affairs in Bahrain with outsiders and extremist leaders in charge of the country’s domestic affairs, noting in a sarcastic tone that it would not be too far-fetched if the nationality of the Bahraini King himself were to be one day revoked by the court.

Dozens of Bahraini people have been jailed and stripped of citizenship since a popular uprising began in the tiny Persian Gulf state in mid-February 2011. The kingdom has also deported citizens whose nationalities had been revoked.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have also held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al-Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. In mid-March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al-Khalifah regime’s crackdown.

Last year, Bahrain’s parliament and king granted military courts jurisdiction to try civilians charged with "terrorism”, a vaguely defined legal term.

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