Bahrain Expels Three MPs After Vote Against Royal Decree on Citizenship Oversight

Bahrain's Council of Representatives voted unanimously on May 8, 2026 to expel MPs Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdooh al-Saleh, and Mahdi al-Shuwaik for voting against a royal decree issued in 2024 that removes judicial oversight from citizenship decisions. The three MPs dissented in an April 28, 2026 parliamentary session where 33 voted in favor. Bahrain revoked citizenship of 69 people in April 2026 after accusing them of sympathizing with Iran, with the decree preventing legal appeals.

Parliamentary expulsion of dissenting MPs

• ▪King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa accused the three expelled MPs of siding with traitors and called on them to apologize or join those who have left or been expelled from Bahrain
• ▪Abdulnabi Salman stated that oversight on citizenship matters was necessary to achieve justice and a sense of fairness and trust
• ▪Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy stated that the expulsions of the three MPs set a dangerous precedent that voting in a way perceived as upsetting by the Bahraini king or government could result in losing nationality and deportation
• ▪Andrew McIntosh of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights stated that political movements have been boycotting Bahraini elections since 2014, claiming the Council of Representatives has no real power
• ▪Bahrain's Council of Representatives voted unanimously on May 8, 2026 to revoke the memberships of Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdooh al-Saleh, and Mahdi al-Shuwaik
• ▪Abdulnabi Salman, Mamdooh al-Saleh, and Mahdi al-Shuwaik were expelled from Bahrain's parliament due to their dissenting votes in a parliamentary session held on April 28, 2026

Royal decree on citizenship oversight

• ▪The royal decree on citizenship oversight would prevent those impacted from mounting legal challenges or appeals
• ▪A royal decree issued in Bahrain in 2024 would remove judicial oversight on matters related to citizenship and classify them as sovereign issues
• ▪Abdulnabi Salman rejected collective punishment in citizenship matters, referring to the citizenship revocations of dependent family members
• ▪In the April 28, 2026 parliamentary session on the royal decree, thirty-three parliamentarians voted in favor, three were absent, and three MPs abstained

Mass citizenship revocations

• ▪Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people in April 2026 after accusing them of sympathizing with Iran
• ▪The 69 people who had their Bahraini citizenship revoked in April 2026 include those accused of causing harm to Bahrain and their dependent family members, including children
• ▪Many of those who had their Bahraini citizenship revoked in April 2026 were not arrested or interrogated and have no information about what caused authorities to take the decision
• ▪The governments of Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and the UAE published statements in solidarity with Bahrain and in support of its recent domestic measures in connection with security

Iran war domestic crackdown

• ▪Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at Gulf states, including Bahrain, in retaliation for the US-Israeli war launched in late February 2026
• ▪Some arrests in Bahrain since the Iran war began have been in connection with protests, while many are related to social media posts, including posting footage of Iranian attacks
• ▪More than 200 people have been arrested in Bahrain since the Iran war began in late February 2026, according to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy
• ▪Mohamed al-Mosawi's corpse had bruises and marks all across the face and body, according to photographs and footage seen by Middle East Eye
• ▪Explosions from direct impacts and fires from falling debris after anti-missile interception have been reported across Bahrain, with at least three people killed and scores wounded
• ▪Mohamed al-Mosawi, 32, died in Bahraini custody after being forcibly disappeared along with several of his friends in connection with the Iran war