revoked. As this chapter will set out, revoca.on of na.onality contravenes Bahrain’s prac.ce of na.onality revoca.on interna.onal standards. has no basis in interna.onal law, undermines According to Ar.cle 15 of the 1948 Universal fundamental principles and Bahrain’s core Declara.on of Human Rights (UHDR), interna.onal obliga.ons. These include everyone has the right to a na.onality, and Bahrain’s obliga.ons under the Interna.onal no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their Covenant on Civil and Poli.cal Rights,17 na.onality nor denied the right to change Conven.on on the Rights of the Child18 and their na.onality. Furthermore, Ar.cle 29 of Conven.on on the Elimina.on of all forms of the Arab Charter on Human Rights adopted Discrimina.on Against Women,19 as well as by the League of Arab States, of which relevant norms of customary interna.onal Bahrain is a founding party, states in its first law. paragraph “Every person has the right to a na.onality, and no ci.zen shall be deprived Na.onality, in its essence, relates to the State of his na.onality without a legally valid and its ci.zens: according to the Notebohm reason”, and, in its third paragraph, “No one Judgement, “na.onality is a legal bond shall be denied the right to acquire another having as its basis a social fact of atachment, na.onality in accordance with the applicable a genuine connec.on of existence, interests legal procedures of his country”.21 As and sen.ments, together with the existence interna.onal law – and, in par.cular, of reciprocal rights and du.es.”20 The interna.onal human rights law – has evolved, in.mate nature of na.onality, however, does a number of key principles have increasingly not preclude interna.onal involvement if the been recognised as limi.ng State discre.on rules and prac.ce related to conferral or in seUng the rules and criteria for ci.zenship. 17 Interna.onal Covenant on Civil and Poli.cal Rights, 16 December 1966, 999 UNTS 171 (hereinaNer ICCPR) 18 Conven.on on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, 1577 UNTS 3 (hereinaNer CRC) 19 Conven.on on the Elimina.on of All Forms of Discrimina.on Against Women, 18 December 1979, 1249 UNTS 13 (hereinaNer CEDAW) 20 NoGebohm (Liechtenstein v. Guatemala), Judgment, 6 April 1955, ICJ Reports 1955, p. 23 21 2004 Arab Charter on Human Rights, available in English at: htps://www.eods.eu/library/ LAS_Arab%20Charter%20on%20Human%20Rights_2004_EN.pdf accessed 15 May 2021 24 | Arbitrary Revoca.on of Na.onality in Bahrain - a Tool of Oppression