Bahrain's main opposition group, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society said that the expulsion of Bahraini citizen Taimour Karimi is an illegal action and a clear example of the Bahraini authorities' ongoing practice of a deportation policy.

In a statement, Al-Wefaq expressed its great concern over the verdict, ordering the expulsion of Karimi and considered it to be depriving him of his right to stay in his country where he was raised.

Al-Wefaq further stressed that the measures taken against Karimi, or other nationals whose citizenships were revoked, did not undergo all the stages of litigation, since the defendants could not appeal the court senetnces.

Member of Al-Wefaq's Freedoms and Human Rights Department, Mohammad Al-Shakouri, said that the court ordered the expulsion of Karimi without allowing him and the defence panel to have a look at the royal decree that revoked his nationality, along with 30 others.

Al-Wefaq also noted that the bank accounts of Taimour Karimi, who is a well-known lawyer,  were frozen pursuant to the decree that stripped him of his nationality and he was informed by the Ministry of Justice that he is no longer allowed to practice his legal profession. Karimi was summoned to Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs department to hand over his passport and identity card. He was then accused of illegal residency in Bahrain, according to the Immigration and Residence Law. The court ordered his expulsion, also fining him 100 BD.

A Bahraini court upheld on Monday (May 23, 2016) the verdict issued to deport 59-year-old Taimour Karimi, following the revocation of his citizenship. Karimi holds no other passport. At the end of 2012, a decree, issued by the Ministry of Interior revoking the citizenships of Karimi along with 30 other citizens over the charge of "disrupting state security, was circulated on social media.

Arabic Version