Revocation of Citizenship of Eight Shiites in Bahrain for 'Espionage for Iran'

A court in Bahrain revoked the citizenship of eight Shiite citizens of the country on charges of 'espionage for Iran.' Six of these individuals were also sentenced to life imprisonment. About ten days ago, Bahrain had revoked the citizenship of Isa Qasim, the leader of the Shiites in the country, on charges of 'sectarianism and promoting violence,' an action that provoked a strong reaction from the Islamic Republic. On Wednesday, July 9, the French news agency reported that the Bahraini court, in addition to revoking the citizenship of these eight individuals, sentenced six of them to life imprisonment and two others to 15 years in prison. According to a judicial source in Bahrain, these individuals were convicted not only for espionage for Iran but also for 'joining terrorist groups, possessing weapons, ammunition, and explosives, and being trained to use them.' For years, Bahrain has accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of attempting to undermine the security of the country through armed and financial support for Bahraini Shiites. During this time, dozens of Shiite citizens have been arrested and tried on charges of terrorist activities supported by the Quds Force of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic has always denied these allegations, but after the revocation of Isa Qasim's citizenship, Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately vowed to destroy the Bahraini government. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, also described the Bahraini government's 'attack' on Sheikh Isa Qasim as a sign of the 'stupidity' of that government and stated that this issue means removing obstacles for 'the heroic and passionate youth of Bahrain' to take any action against the government. In recent years, the Bahraini government has revoked the citizenship and exiled dozens of Shiites in the country. The United States has also protested the new rulings in Bahrain against the Shiites of the country. Bahrain, located on the southern edge of the Persian Gulf, hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet.