Bahraini authorities have revoked the nationalities of 72 citizens on the basis of negatively affecting national security.

The report on the Bahraini state news agency said the measures have been taken to preserve security and stability.

This is the largest number of reported citizenship revocations since the inception of a law put in place in 2013 to battle terrorism on the island nation.

Tensions have been high since elections in November were boycotted by the opposition and the situation was recently exacerbated with the arrest and trial of opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman.

The case against Salman sees him charged with multiple offences, including inciting a “change of government by force, spreading hatred among a segment of society and insulting the Interior Ministry”, according to an official Interior Ministry statement.

Bahrain’s Shia opposition, Al-Wefaq, was founded in 2002, a year after Bahrain announced political reforms in which the country became a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament.

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