An independent human rights group has expressed serious concern over the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty’s “ongoing and increasingly severe” clampdown on human rights activists and pro-democracy campaigners in Bahrain, stating that Bahraini officials have revoked the citizenship of hundreds of people since the beginning of the current year.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) announced in a statement that the Manama regime has stripped 334 people of their citizenship between early January and May 10, the Arabic-language Lualua television network reported.

The report added 261 Bahraini nationals were also arbitrarily detained during the period, including 23 minors.

The rights group further noted that it had recorded a further spike in instances of intimidation and reprisals against civil society in Bahrain throughout the first six months of this year.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established. Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3, 2017.