Bahraini authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on Shiite clerics amid fears of Iranian influence in the country, arresting more than 50 religious figures suspected of anti-government activity and stripping 69 people of Iranian descent of their citizenship, Reuters reported.
2+“We are dealing with an ideology that demands obedience to Iran’s leadership above Bahrain’s sovereign authority,” General Tariq al-Hassan, head of the country’s Public Security Agency, told Reuters.
According to the report, Iranian attacks on Bahrain sparked serious concern among the country’s security officials, particularly given the precision with which various targets were hit. In one case, a hotel was struck shortly after American military personnel arrived there after fleeing their base, which houses the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
2+Bahrain suspects local actors helped guide the attacks and expressed alarm over public support some citizens voiced for the Iranian strikes. About 12 people have already been sentenced to five to ten years in prison after being convicted of expressing support for the attacks.
“Unfortunately, the war exposed how deeply certain individuals have been influenced by Iran-linked ideology and brainwashed,” al-Hassan said. “We decided at that point that the problem must be addressed at its root,” he added.
2+Between May and June, more than 50 clerics and religious speakers were arrested on suspicion of trying to operate a terrorist organization aimed at inciting rebellion and overthrowing the government, with assistance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Bahraini prosecutors claimed the suspects worked to promote loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader.
However, family members and lawyers for the detainees rejected the charges, claiming authorities are trying to criminalize religious belief. On Friday, 20 human rights organizations issued a statement alleging torture, coerced confessions, and violations of the suspects’ rights.