and remain the only mechanism to grant nationality to children of Bahraini mothers married to non-Bahraini fathers. Most recently, on Jan 2014, the cabinet approved a proposed law to pass the citizenship of Bahraini mothers to their children under certain conditions. The proposal was forwarded to the council of representatives for discussion and approval. Despite this, several months passed since it was referred to the council and it has not yet been approved. Arbitrary deprivation of nationality 18. Bahrain’s constitution states, in Article 7, that Bahraini nationals cannot be stripped of their nationality ‘except in case of treason, and such other cases as prescribed by law.’23 The legislation of Bahrain does not ensure the right of every child to acquire a nationality and it does not contain sufficient safeguards to prevent statelessness of children. Moreover, much of Bahraini policy is dictated by royal decrees in addition to legislation, and courts in Bahrain have previously ruled that they have no jurisdiction over decisions on nationality. 19. In 2013 and 2014, the King of Bahrain expanded the grounds for deprivation of Bahraini citizenship. First, in July 2013, the King issued a decree24 implementing 22 recommendations proposed by the Shura Council, the royally-appointed upper house of parliament, to augment the 2006 Law of Protecting Society from Terrorist Acts.25 Among other things, the decree enabled Bahraini courts to revoke the citizenship of any citizen convicted of a terrorist offense. Because the 2006 anti-terror law uses a broad and ambiguous definition of “terrorist acts and incitements to such acts” that includes freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, the courts have utilised their increased authority to deprive the nationality of activists and human rights defenders alongside alleged violent extremists. For example, in February 2015, the government released a list of the names of 72 persons whose citizenship it had revoked; as many as 50 of these individuals were human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, academics or religious scholars, while 20 were linked to extremist groups like Al Qaeda and Daesh (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Islamic State, etc.).26 20. In 2014, the government promulgated Law 21 of 2014, amending certain provisions of the 1963 Citizenship Law to empower the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to revoke citizenship by administrative order. Article 8 now provides that “Bahraini citizenship may be revoked, upon request from the Interior Minister and approval of the cabinet, from any naturalised person” who has, among other things, been “found guilty of a crime connected with honour and integrity” within ten years of receiving it.27 Furthermore, Article 10 enables the MOI to issue revocation orders for any citizen who: (1) serves in a foreign army, (2) helps to or serves a hostile country, and (3) causes harm to the interests of the kingdom.28 Like the anti-terror legislation, these vague provisions give the 23 Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, 14 February 2002, http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=7264 Decree on 31 July 2013 available on the State News Agency at: http://www.bna.bh/portal/news/573609 25 2006 Act available at: http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/LegislationSearchDetails.aspx?id=2125 26 These figures are derived from a database maintained by ADHRB and its partners. For further analysis: http://birdbh.org/2016/02/revoked-citizenship/ 27 “HM the King ratifies law amending some provisions of the Citizenship Law,” Bahrain News Agency 28 Bahraini Citizenship Act (last amended 1981) [Bahrain], 16 September 1963, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3fb9f34f4.html 24