Lebanon orders deportation of Shia Bahraini opposition group members

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi ordered the country’s General Security to deport members of Bahrain’s Shia Wefaq opposition party after they held a conference that sparked the ire of Manama, state-run media reported Wednesday.

The order was sent in a letter from Mawlawi to General Security to deport the non-Lebanese members of the party, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.

Mawlawi’s move came as a result of the press conference held in Beirut on Dec. 12, 2021, which “harms relations between Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain and [negatively] impacts Lebanon’s national interests.”

Last week, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced Lebanon for hosting a press conference for individuals it described as “hostile personnel” on terror lists with the purpose of “broadcasting and promoting abusive and malicious allegations against the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

Mawlawi held a call with his Bahraini counterpart on Wednesday.

The latest incident also comes after Bahrain, and a number of other Gulf states asked Lebanese diplomats to leave, against the backdrop of a series of statements and stances issued by Lebanese officials.