assess what harms the integrity and stability Directorate of Criminal Inves.ga.on and of its internal and external security. This Forensic Science without a lawyer present decision, in effect, meant that the issuance or about a Twiter account “FreejKarimi” that revoca.on of ci.zenship is not subject to cri.cized Saudi Arabia over the deaths of judicial oversight. hundreds of people during Hajj. Although he denied being the owner of the account, he ANer his na.onality was revoked, Mr. Karimi was allegedly tortured and forced to sign a had no other na.onality and was rendered confession pleading guilty to the charges for stateless. He was later arrested for a day and being the owner of the Twiter account and forced to hand over his ID, passport and any an electric-shock device, which are illegal in other official papers to the authori.es. He Bahrain. was also called into inves.ga.on regarding his illegal stay in the country, which meant During his trial before the FiNh Lower that he was subject to the Immigra.on Law Criminal Court in Manama, defence and was obliged to leave the country. Mr. w i t n e s s e s we re n o t a l l owe d to b e Karimi was charged with illegally staying in summoned. On 31 March 2016, the Court the country without a valid residence permit, sentenced him to two years of imprisonment and on 28 October 2014, the FiNh Lower and a fine of 2,000 Bahraini Dinar for Criminal Court ordered his deporta.on. His “publicly inci.ng hatred and contempt lawyer lodged an appeal the next day, and against the regime”, “publicly insul.ng the the deporta.on order was halted un.l the King” and “publicly insul.ng Saudi Arabia and court issued its verdict. its King”. He was also sentenced to onemonth imprisonment for “possession of an On 26 September 2015, Mr. Karimi was electric-shock device without authorisa.on arrested at his home in al-Dair by police from the Ministry of Interior”. Meanwhile, in officers without an arrest warrant. The a separate case, the Court of Appeals in officers took mobile phones that belonged to Manama upheld Ibrahim Karimi’s deporta.on him and his family, and other electronic order on 8 March 2016. ANer serving his devices. He was interrogated at the General sentence in Jau prison, Mr. Karimi was 36 | Arbitrary Revoca.on of Na.onality in Bahrain - a Tool of Oppression