na.onality the same way it applies to other would lead to statelessness or not. It human rights. The 2009 Secretary-General’s establishes the principle of non- report on arbitrary depriva.on of na.onality discrimina.on as a stand-alone and absolute clearly ar.culates that any depriva.on of bar against na.onality depriva.on in any na.onality on discriminatory grounds is context. Consequently, “a State will need to considered arbitrary for the purposes of establish that a depriva.on decision is not interna.onal law.38 Accordingly, a State must being made on poli.cal or other not deprive any person or group of persons discriminatory grounds. Furthermore, the of their na.onality as a result of direct or depriva.on must not be based on conduct indirect discrimina.on in law or in prac.ce which is consistent with an individual´s on any ground prohibited under interna.onal freedom of expression, freedom of assembly law, including race, colour, sex, language, or other rights guaranteed under religion, poli.cal or other opinion, na.onal or interna.onal human rights law.”40 social origin, ethnicity, property, birth or inheritance, disability, sexual orienta.on or gender iden.ty, or other real or perceived status, characteris.c or affilia.on. C) The prohibi:on of arbitrary depriva:on of Importantly, Ar.cle 9 of the 1961 Conven.on na:onality41 on the Reduc.on of Statelessness39 prohibits The prohibi.on of arbitrary depriva.on of the depriva.on of na.onality on racial, na.onality is set out in Ar.cle 15(2) of the ethnic, religious or poli.cal grounds, UDHR and reinforced in different irrespec.ve of whether the depriva.on interna.onal and regional legal instruments. 38 UN Human Rights Council, ‘Human rights and arbitrary depriva.on of na.onality: Report of the SecretaryGeneral’, A/HRC/13/34 (2009) <htp://www.refworld.org/docid/4b83a9cb2.html> 39 Conven.on on the Reduc.on of Statelessness, 30 August 1961, 989 UNTS 175 (hereinaNer the 1961 Conven.on). 40 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ’Expert Mee.ng - Interpre.ng the 1961 Statelessness Conven.on and Avoiding Statelessness resul.ng from Loss and Depriva.on of Na.onality‘ (“Tunis Conclusions”) (March 2014) <htps://www.refworld.org/docid/533a754b4.html> 41 The Principles, Principle 7 (The Prohibi.on of Arbitrary Depriva.on of Na.onality). 28 | Arbitrary Revoca.on of Na.onality in Bahrain - a Tool of Oppression