Bahraini writer and human rights defender who is writing under a pseudonym to protect their identity.
Since the onset of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Bahraini authorities have further tightened restrictions on freedom of expression, reducing political dialogue to a single state-approved narrative that leaves Bahrainis with no room to breathe — particularly the country's Shia majority. This approach embodies an adage often associated with the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser after the 1967 war with Israel: "No voice shall rise above the voice of battle."
Similar to other Gulf states affected by weeks of missile attacks, Bahrain has introduced additional measures prohibiting the filming and publication of military-related content as the war escalated, applicable to both citizens and residents. Authorities frame these rules as necessary steps to control supposedly false or harmful information and address security concerns. In practice, however, these measures have tightened state control over speech, protest and dissent more broadly. Authorities warn that any violation of these directives constitutes a clear breach of the Kingdom's laws, rendering the offender liable for prosecution.
This crackdown has extended beyond individuals publishing images or videos directly related to the conflict, whether depicting missile shrapnel, post-attack destruction or commentary critical of the war. Many of those targeted merely posted images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was not only Iran's former supreme leader, but also a key figurehead of the Shia sect and a prominent religious leader for Bahrain's Shia community.
Bahrain's latest crackdown reflects a longer pattern of repression against its Shia population, who, despite being a majority of the population, have historically faced sustained political and economic marginalization. Since the 2011 uprising during the broader Arab Spring, authorities have responded to largely Shia-led demands for reform with mass arrests, the dismantling of opposition groups and the exclusion of Shias from key state institutions. Officials frequently frame dissent as foreign backed, particularly by Iran, using broad security laws to justify suppressing both political expression and religious identity.
Bahrain has introduced additional measures prohibiting the filming and publication of military-related content as the war escalated, applicable to both citizens and residents.
- Mona Ali
The charges against Bahraini and foreign detainees include misuse of social media, spreading false news, undermining civil peace and filming sensitive locations. Detainees, including photographer Sayed Baqer al-Kamel — who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in late April — have been prosecuted and sentenced to lengthy terms ranging from one year to life imprisonment. Authorities also charged detainees with "espionage on behalf of the Revolutionary Guard [IRGC]," alleging they photographed strategic sites and transmitted images and GPS coordinates to the Revolutionary Guard via encrypted software.
Recent cases documented by Human Rights Watch include the arrest of Hussein Naji and Ali Mahdi while they were marching peacefully toward the U.S. Embassy following American attacks on Iran, despite witness accounts and a family member confirming the demonstration was nonviolent. In another case, on March 4, security forces stormed the home of Muneer Mirza Ahmed Mushaima at around 3:30 a.m. and arrested him, accusing him of running a social media account with unlawful content. His wife said authorities relied on a phone that was not his as evidence.
Five human rights organizations have condemned the arrests, characterizing them as driving a heightened climate of hostility toward the Shia community. They similarly argue that Bahraini authorities rely on vague and broadly worded laws that enable the state to criminalize virtually any content, deeming it a threat to civil peace or an act calculated to undermine national morale. Likewise, the Al-Amal Center for Human Rights and Justice has highlighted the wrongful detention of 322 individuals since the end of April for opposing the war or objecting to the presence of foreign cultural influence in Bahrain.
A Bahraini human rights defender, speaking on condition of anonymity given the security context, explained the situation plainly: "It is deeply concerning that the Bahraini government, with every crisis it faces, seizes the opportunity to tighten its security grip and curtail freedom of expression. We have observed numerous instances involving patterns of arbitrary arrests, conducted without warrants, and the accompanying documented cases of enforced disappearance."
The human rights defender further documented instances of detainees subjected to torture, including the case of Sayed Mohammad Al-Mousawi, who was tortured to death by Bahraini authorities in March. "These actions constitute a violation of international law regarding state obligations, which remain binding even during states of emergency," they concluded.
The murder of Al-Mousawi, a member of the Shia sect, in late March sparked public outrage. Protests broke out, with some openly chanting anti-monarchy slogans. The incident reinforced long-standing concerns among Bahrain's Shia community that they are disproportionately targeted under the guise of national security, with detention carrying legal consequences or even life-threatening risks. Such cases point to a broader pattern in which sectarian identity is treated as a marker of suspicion and punishment.
The current crackdown in Bahrain is reinforcing a familiar reality: Moments of regional crisis often translate into deeper surveillance, harsher punishment and growing uncertainty at home.
- Mona Ali
The Kingdom's actions go beyond arrests, however, to include the expanded use of citizenship revocation. In this context, authorities may now strip individuals of nationality without judicial proceedings, leaving many individuals stateless. Manama implemented the policy in April, when the state revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals and their dependents on the grounds of participating in illegal protests, expressing sympathy with "hostile acts" or engaging in espionage on behalf of "external entities."
One affected individual shared their experience on condition of anonymity, given the security situation: "I learned of my revocation just like everyone else: when the Ministry of Interior published the list. It came as a complete shock."
Regarding the reasons behind these revocations, they remarked: "We do not know exactly why our citizenship was stripped, though I suspect it may be linked to my posting a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom we revere as a religious symbol." Their case reflects a broader trend across the Arab world, where public displays of mourning for religious figures from other faiths are widely accepted, while similar expressions from the Shia community are often treated with suspicion or accusations of disloyalty.
"My entire life, and that of my family, has been turned upside down. I have been separated from my wife, and our children are now caught in the middle. A life, which I built for 40 years, has been completely dismantled," the individual who lost their citizenship explained. "At this moment, the authorities hold absolute control over our lives."
"They have stripped us of our identity, decided where we are to be deported, and now we simply wait to see what happens next. We are utterly powerless."
Citizen revocation has extended to children in multiple instances, with 26 stripped of their citizenship because of the revocation of their fathers' or grandfathers' nationality. This marks the first time Bahrain has applied the principle of citizenship revocation, following a similar approach utilized in Kuwait, where over 300,000 individuals were stripped of their citizenship in recent years.
Such punitive measures have extended to Bahrain's limited parliamentary space as well. In May, authorities expelled three members of parliament after they voted against a royal decree removing judicial oversight over citizenship decisions, reinforcing the state's ability to revoke nationality without legal challenge. The lawmakers were criticized for dissent, highlighting how even mild institutional opposition to citizenship policies is suppressed.
The current crackdown in Bahrain is reinforcing a familiar reality: Moments of regional crisis often translate into deeper surveillance, harsher punishment and growing uncertainty at home. As arrests mount and citizenship revocations expand, the state is further transforming political dissent and religious identity into grounds for suspicion, exclusion and arbitrary detention. It will likely continue to do so unchecked, leaving anyone who defends democracy and human rights in the country at risk.
The views and positions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of DAWN.
