Bahrain Mirror: Human rights defender Sayed Yusuf Al-Muhafdha has called on exiled individuals with previous convictions, including those with dual citizenship, who decide to return to Bahrain, to seek legal or human rights consultations to avoid arrest.

In a post on the formerly Twitter "X" platform on Sunday, July 6, 2024, Al-Muhafdha said, "The documented cases of many returning individuals previously convicted confirm the enforcement of their sentences and their imprisonment to serve the remaining term." He stressed that "according to the United Nations and international organizations, previous trials and sentences did not meet international standards for fair trials."

He further emphasized the necessity for returnees to "have the right to a lawyer, to contest the previous sentence, and to request a retrial with all the legal guarantees."

Al-Muhafdha pointed out that "European and British laws treat their naturalized citizens as they would any citizen, granting them the same rights in any country," noting that "embassies have a legal responsibility independent of the actions taken by security agencies, which are not considered legal under relevant international treaties concerning dual nationals."

He went on to say that "processing dual nationals with a ‘transit document' upon entering Bahrain instead of acknowledging their second nationality does not absolve embassies of their responsibility, nor does it grant security forces the authority to infringe on the rights of a citizen holding another nationality." He clarified that "the international civil aviation system records passports during takeoff," warning of "legal consequences for these actions."

Arabic Version